The European Union may target Britain’s energy supplies to force Keir Starmer to meet the bloc’s demands to keep its rights to fish in UK waters, reports suggest.
Under the existing Brexit deal, the bloc’s fishermen were permitted to access parts of Britain’s coastal seas, but the amount the EU’s fishers could take in UK waters was to be slashed by a quarter over five and a half years up to 2026.
Brussels wants to keep the deal, but according to reports, the bloc will renegotiate the UK-EU Brexit agreement, known as the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, if Britain allows European Union fishers full access to its waters.
The Brexit deal expires in 2026, along with the UK’s energy agreement with Brussels, which maintained Britain’s access to EU gas and electricity markets after the country left the EU in January 2020.
Anand Menon, Director of the UK in a Changing Europe think tank, told the Telegraph: “It’s no coincidence that the energy and fisheries provisions of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement expire on the same day.”
He added that fisheries “really matter” politically in the EU so the bloc will be “determined” to secure ongoing access to British waters and will be willing to use energy as a bargaining chip.
The energy section of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement remains in force until June 30, 2026, and could be extended annually beyond that date.
There is a separate agreement on cooperation over nuclear energy, which secures cooperation between the EU and UK over its “safe and peaceful” uses.
Mike Cohen, Chief Executive of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, told the same publication the Labour Government mustn’t just accept the continutation of the “bad deal” struck last time.
The European Union’s Brexit negotiator, Maros Sefcovic, has already told MEPs that the bloc must secure guaranteed access for fishers after the deal expires.
In a written response to questions from the European Parliament quoted by the Telegraph, he said: “We have to ensure continued access to United Kingdom waters for EU fishing fleets.”
A Government spokesman said: “The UK Government will protect the interests of our fishers and fulfil our international commitments to protect the marine environment.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has made resetting relations with the EU a priority, although it is unclear how much can be achieved within his red lines, which include ruling out a return to the single market or customs union.
Overall, the bloc and Britain’s energy strategies share similar ambitions to diversify suppliers for fossil fuels and to increase the use of renewable sources of power such as wind and solar.
Mutual access to UK and EU waters currently happens via a licencing system for fishing vessels. After 2026, negotiations on access and the share of stocks are due to take place annually, although multi-year agreements are possible.
It is understood the EU will push for a multi-year agreement so it doesn’t have to engage in annual talks and that the bloc will demand a better deal on the amount its fishers can take.