The EU has threatened to block the UK’s access to energy markets if fishing communities on the continent are threatened, GB News reports.
In 2026, the UK will be able to restrict EU fishing vessels’ access to British waters, thereby renegotiating the EU’s fisheries agreement.
The British government currently has no plans to ban EU vessels from operating in British sovereign waters, but the EU has drawn up contingency plans in case tough measures are imposed.
According to the official report on the implementation of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), no further quota reductions for EU fishermen are planned, but MEPs are being asked to maintain “reciprocal access to waters and fishery resources” beyond the 30 June 2026 deadline.
The report suggests that fishing could become a weapon. It reads:
Should the UK decide to limit the access of EU fishing vessels to British waters at the end of the adjustment period, the EU would be able to take measures to protect its interests. In accordance with the TCA itself, these measures include the re-establishment of tariffs or quotas on the UK’s fish imports and the suspension of other parts of the TCA should there be a risk of serious economic or social difficulties for the EU’s fishing communities. In this regard, the EU should consider linking other specific parts of the TCA, such as the UK’s access to the European electricity market, as well as other relevant sectors under the TCA, with the EU’s access to British waters and fisheries resources.
Speaking against the report, Sir John Redwood advised Sunak to “ignore the threats” and instead focus on strengthening the UK’s energy security. He said:
This shows the EU continues to want to bully us. The Government should ignore these threats and get on with rebuilding our fishing industry. It also needs to ensure self-sufficiency in electricity.
Lia Nici, Conservative MP for Great Grimsby, claimed that the EU’s threat shows the value of Britain’s quotas:
This is yet another ridiculous action by the EU to try to threaten the UK with silly suggestions like this. By 30 June 2026, the UK will have taken back full control of all its sovereign fishing waters and fish quotas. It will be free to decide who can fish for all of our fish species in its waters, just as the EU and other sovereign nations can with their own quotas, which happens annually. Is the EU seriously considering limiting electricity supplies to the UK if it doesn’t get its own way? That clearly proves how valuable our fishing quotas must be! Let’s hope we don’t have a Labour Government by 2026, or they will give it all away.
