The European Union and London have reached an agreement in principle on fish quotas for 2021 in jointly managed waters. According to EU information, the agreement was reached on Wednesday during a telephone conversation between EU Environment Commissioner Virginius Sinkevicius and British Environment Minister George Eustice. Sinkevicius said the deal “proves that two partners on both sides of the channel can do deals and move forward if they work together.”

According to the information, the agreement sets the total fishing limits for 75 stocks by the end of 2021 and for certain stocks in the deep sea for the years 2021 and 2022. The agreement is expected to be signed in the coming days.

Together with Great Britain, the European Union manages large parts of the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea. Fisheries has been the hardest part of the post-Brexit trade deal negotiations between the EU and the UK.

In mid-March, common fishing quotas were agreed for the first time since Brexit. At that time, the European Union, Great Britain and Norway ended their tripartite negotiations on the administration of the North Sea.

Phone: APA / AFP