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Oceans and fisheries
News announcement11 June 2021Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries

Sustainable fisheries: Commission signs first ever annual agreement on fishing with the United Kingdom

Sea water with foam © vivoo / Adobe Stock
Sea water with foam © vivoo / Adobe Stock

The Commission has today signed the Written Record, laying down the details of the agreement in principle reached between Commissioner Sinkevičius and his UK counterpart on 2 June 2021, after the Council meeting this morning in Luxembourg had endorsed the agreement.

This agreement reflects the outcome of the first annual consultations on fishing opportunities between the EU and the UK under the terms of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA).

The agreement on the management of key shared stocks secures the fishing rights of both the EU and the UK fleets in both the EU and the UK waters until the end of 2021, as foreseen under the TCA. It establishes the total allowable catches (TAC) for 75 shared fish stocks for 2021, as well as for some deep-sea stocks for 2021 and 2022.

The agreement is based on the best available scientific advice on the state of fish stocks, as provided by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). It takes into account important sustainability and management principles, such as maximum sustainable yield and the precautionary approach, which are central to both the EU's Common Fisheries Policy and to the fisheries provisions of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement.

Overall, the agreement creates certainty for fishing communities in both the EU and the UK, enables the continued pursuit of still more sustainable use of marine living resources and establishes a strong basis for continued EU-UK cooperation in the area of fisheries.

More information

11 JUNE 2021
European Union and United Kingdom for 2021
English
(986.19 KB - PDF)
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Northern agreements

Details

Publication date
11 June 2021
Author
Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries