Britain may be forced to compromise on fishing rights to secure a landmark defence agreement with Europe

Keir Starmer Sparks Fury Over Brexit Fishing Concessions

UNITED KINGDOM
Thursday, March 27, 2025, 11:00 (GMT + 9)

"Prime Minister Faces Pressure Over European Access to British Waters in Defence Deal Talks," reported Martyn Brown, Political Editor of the British newspaper Express.

Britain may be forced to compromise on fishing rights to secure a landmark defence agreement with Europe as part of Sir Keir Starmer’s post-Brexit “reset.” The Prime Minister is under growing pressure to concede access to British waters for European vessels in exchange for the military pact.

Jessica Rosencrantz, Sweden’s EU affairs minister, emphasized the urgency of formalizing a security agreement with the UK, particularly amid rising tensions over Ukraine. However, she warned that EU member states were unlikely to sign off on the deal without resolving other “sensitive” issues—chief among them, access to British fishing waters.

A fisheries agreement, she argued, would also help rebuild trust between London and Brussels.

“Just to be clear, I think it’s really important that the EU and UK work together on defence and security,” Rosencrantz told Politico.

“But obviously, there are other sensitive issues for many member states that need to be addressed—fisheries being one.”

When asked whether a defence pact could be finalized separately from fishing negotiations, she insisted that both must advance in parallel.

“I think we have to find a way to do both,” she said. “We want to move ahead with the defence partnership, but for many countries, it’s equally important to resolve these other sensitive issues.”

Downing Street declined to comment on her remarks.

The Prime Minister’s spokesman stated: “We’ve always said we won’t provide a running commentary on discussions with the EU regarding the reset.

“But clearly, we welcome the fact that countries have stepped up on defence, just as the UK has.

“We’ve outlined an objective to deepen security and defence cooperation with the EU, but I won’t go into details of those discussions.”

EU leaders are expected to visit London for a summit in May, where a formal announcement could be made.

Brexit Fishing Showdown Sparks Backlash

Shadow Environment Secretary Victoria Atkins warned against any compromise that would undermine British sovereignty.

“Europe must present a united front on defence to counter dictators like Vladimir Putin," she said.

"But this cannot come at the expense of backsliding on Brexit and surrendering our fishing rights to the French. We are a sovereign nation, and our government must defend our rights to the hilt.

"Labour must not betray our fishermen with backroom Brexit deals. We Conservatives will hold them accountable every step of the way.”

The controversy unfolds as the EU finalizes a €150 billion defence fund, established in response to former U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to withdraw American security guarantees for Europe and Ukraine. The fund will allow EU member states to take out loans backed by the EU budget, but it includes restrictions barring non-EU countries from acquiring complex weapons systems where design authority is held outside the bloc.

Germany has recently raised concerns that the U.S. could potentially disable F-35 fighter jets, which are widely deployed across Europe.

Labour Urged to ‘Stand Up’ to Macron

Ms. Rosencrantz’s remarks come amid renewed tensions over Brexit fishing rights, with Labour facing calls to push back against Emmanuel Macron.

During a heated Commons exchange, Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge accused the French president of prioritizing “fishing rights over Europe’s collective security.”

Defence Secretary John Healey dismissed the comments, urging Cartlidge to “drop the Brexit rhetoric.”

Cartlidge highlighted Britain’s critical role in Ukraine’s defence, stating:

“On the potential peacekeeping force for Ukraine, we’ve heard from the Secretary of State that this is a joint British-French initiative.

“So isn’t it extraordinary that at the same time, France is working to undermine our defence industry by excluding the UK from a €150 billion European Defence Fund, which includes other non-EU states?”

Healey responded:

“The EU’s recent defence and security White Paper outlined specific arrangements for third nations like the UK that establish a defence partnership with the bloc—exactly what we promised to pursue as a government.

“Any country with such a partnership could potentially access these programmes and funds. That’s what we will negotiate for our country and our industry.”

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