France halts plans to sue UK in Brexit fishing row

FRENCH president Emmanuel Macron has backed down on threats to sue Britain over postBrexit fishing licences.

The Elysee insisted before Christmas it would take the UK Government to court over the long-running row.

But the Daily Mail understands the European Commission told France to step back from potentially dragging the EU into a trade war. Germany’s government, under chancellor Olaf Scholz, is uneasy about the prospect of a cross-Channel dispute between Britain and the 27-member bloc.

‘We hope the quarrel can be settled without further disrup

‘Spat is a Franco British issue’

tion,’ said a senior EU source. A diplomat said the spat ‘remains a Franco-British issue’.

The post-Brexit rules mean French skippers no longer have unfettered access to UK waters and must apply for permission.

Ministers considered Brexit at a closed-door meeting in Brussels on Tuesday. Sources present said the possibility of legal action over fishing ‘was not part of the discussion’.

In post-Brexit arbitration, victory for France would have seen heavy tariffs on British fish exports to the EU. It could also have meant UK trawlers banned from fishing in bloc waters.

The outcome is another climbdown for France, which has repeatedly missed deadlines for action against Britain.