Emmanuel Macron is bound over to keep the peace with the UK – but will he?

Facts4EU.Org exposes the EU legal obligations on France’s President & his government

Montage © Facts4EU.Org 2021

Meanwhile Brexit Britain’s ‘Bulldog Frost’ fires a broadside at France, rebutting their claims

The French President Emmanuel Macron is beginning to learn that the days of a timid, acquiescent, and appeasing United Kingdom of the type the EU encountered when Theresa May was Prime Minister are long gone.

In its place is a more assured, independent, and powerful country, acting with considerable restraint but prepared to stand up for its rights in the face of sustained aggression from its nearest neighbour and the empire of which that country is part.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org Summary

In this Sunday report:-

‘Bulldog Frost’ issues robust statement, rebutting the French threats and outlining legal action
We reveal that on top of all its other proposed illegalities, France is breaking the terms of the EU’s own Treaty
Boris Johnson meets EU Commission President, issues statement denouncing French threats

1. French behaviour “very troubling and very problematic” - Lord Frost’s statement yesterday

Below we present in full the text of a statement issued yesterday by Lord Frost, in response to the repeated French threats. This is what might be described as ‘robust response’.

“I would like to set out where things stand between the UK and the EU on fisheries and related issues, and why recent French rhetoric and threats, potentially leading to a breach by the EU of its Treaty obligations, are such an important matter for us.
“We have been in talks with the EU Commission for weeks on fisheries licensing and have granted 98% of applications. We do so in good faith and are fully delivering on our TCA obligation - to license vessels which can prove they have actually fished previously in our 6-12nm limit.

“That is why we are concerned and surprised by the comments seemingly made by [French PM] Jean Castex to [EU Commission President] Ursula von der Leyen that: ‘it is indispensable to show European public opinion that … it causes more damage to leave the EU than to stay in.’

“I hope this opinion is not held more widely across the EU. To see it expressed in this way is clearly very troubling and very problematic in the current context when we are trying to solve many highly sensitive issues, including on the Northern Ireland Protocol.

“This is all the more so as the threats made by France this week to our fishing industry, to energy supplies, and to future cooperation, eg through the Horizon research programme, unfortunately form part of a pattern that has persisted for much of this year.

“As I set out yesterday to [EU Commission Vice-President] Maros Sefcovic, these threats, if implemented on 2 November, would put the EU in breach of its obligations under our trade agreement. So we are actively considering launching dispute settlement proceedings as set out in Article 738 of the TCA.

“For our part we will continue to implement our obligations under the TCA. We will continue to talk constructively to try to resolve all the differences between us, and we urge the EU and France to step back from rhetoric and actions that make this more difficult.”

- Lord Frost, 5pm, Sat 30 Oct 2021

2. France is now clearly in breach of the EU’s own Treaty

The Treaty of the European Union is the pillar on which the EU empire is built. In stark contrast to the EU’s proclamations about treaties with the UK being set in stone and non-negotiable, the EU has renegotiated and replaced its own Treaty many times over the years.

Below we quote from the latest iteration of the EU Treaty. It contains a binding obligation regarding relations with countries neighbouring the EU.

Clause 1 of Article 8 of the Treaty of the European Union (TEU), signed by France

“The Union shall develop a special relationship with neighbouring countries, aiming to establish an area of prosperity and good neighbourliness, founded on the values of the Union and characterised by close and peaceful relations based on cooperation.”

Given that the guardian of the Treaty, the EU Commission, has made no claim against the UK in its management of fishing rights, and given that the UK has in fact been extremely generous in its interpretation of the clauses in regard to fishing licences, the behaviours, actions, and threats by the French are in clear violation of Article 8.

If Clause 1 of Article 8 of the TEU were to be rewritten to reflect the French actions, it might go something like this:

“The Union shall develop an antagonistic relationship with neighbouring countries, aiming to establish an area of prosperity for itself and bad neighbourliness in general, ignoring the values of the Union and characterised by distant and hostile relations based on non-cooperation.”

3. Boris Johnson’s meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen

Yesterday (30 Oct 2021) in Rome for the G20 Summit, Prime Minister Boris Johnson met European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and discussed COP26 before moving on to the actions of the French. Below is the statement issued by No.10.

“The Prime Minister also raised his concerns about the rhetoric from the French Government in recent days over the issue of fishing licences. The Prime Minster stressed that the French threats are completely unjustified and do not appear to be compatible with the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement or wider international law.
“The Prime Minister reiterated that the UK has granted 98% of licence applications from EU vessels to fish in the UK’s waters and is happy to consider any further evidence for the remaining 2%.”

Observations

One of the supreme ironies of France’s trumped up fishing dispute with the UK is that British fishermen were on the receiving end of a stinker of a deal when the Withdrawal Agreement and the subsequent Trade and Co-operation Agreement were signed. Facts4EU.Org reported the details at the time and when British fishermen say they were sold down the river and sacrificed for other interests, we believe they have a very strong case.

This of course makes it all the more astonishing that the French government now has the gall to act aggressively, make false accusations, and issue egregious threats against the United Kingdom.

The United Kingdom has a pedigree when it comes to standing up to bullies

History teaches us that there is only way to deal with a bully and that is to stand one’s ground. Give way – as Theresa May did on almost everything – and the EU and France will take it and demand more.

It is for this reason that under no circumstances should the United Kingdom government placate France’s concocted temper tantrum and grant licences to the small number of French boats which do not appear ever to have fished in UK waters before.

The French have already been granted more UK fishing licences than the rest of the continental EU countries combined. The UK has gone ‘above and beyond’ in its generosity. As they say in France, “ca suffit”, enough is enough.

This affair does no credit to the proud country of France.

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[ Sources: No.10 | Cabinet Office | EU Commission ] Politicians and journalists can contact us for details, as ever.

Brexit Facts4EU.Org, Sun 31 Oct 2021

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Reader Comments 8

1. Amanda McClenaghan , Sunday, October 31, 2021, 09:55:

Be interesting to see how this plays out now that it’s been identified that Macron is in breach of the EU’s own Treaty

2. Robert Mcdonald , Sunday, October 31, 2021, 11:27:

Amanda, come on, we know the process. They will amend the unamendable treaty .. it's what they do.

3. FTFU , Sunday, October 31, 2021, 12:34:

You called also say "unelected Frost issues a statement against the very same things he has instigated" - that would be a true & concise statement too. But none of this is about facts, it's about a wishful thinking that this is the 1800s when England was an Empire & spice was as good as gold - something we didn't have ourselves, it is worth noting, something we took from other nations before they became too strong for us to continue taking it.

4. Fred Dawson , Sunday, October 31, 2021, 12:38:

Brexit bashing Macron and his fake fishing rhetoric and electioneering tantrums will come full circle and bite him, and his cronies in the arse.

5. Richard Horton , Sunday, October 31, 2021, 13:25:

Talk, talk, talk. Where is the action by uk. Bring in the navy and show them that British sovereign waters exist. Walk away from this useless agreement and be our own people, again !

6. Not4EU , Sunday, October 31, 2021, 15:04:

So...they admit that being in the EU is damaging to members, '...show...it causes more damage to leave the EU THAN to stay in.’ (my emphasis) I do hope that the other members take note of that.
I do have to ask again just why our 6-12 mile fishing zone, not part of the EU Treaty (CFP limit is 12 miles), was included in the TCA? The whole thing smacks of EU snivel serpents, operating as UK civil servants, trying to keep as much EU control/leverage (much like NI, military & the other traps & their 'advice') until we can be dragged back under their full control. This is what happens when you do not remove the EUlings from your institutions. I have to ask why is that?
Meanwhile, I wonder if Priti Useless has marvelled, or even asked the question, of how the French can find two fishing vessels but seem to miss 300+ boats (most probably contravening French law with regard to engine sizes & unlicenced operators - not allowed on the sea) transporting illegal immigrants from their shores. Could it be that French law does not apply when escorted by French military vessels?
Rip up the WA & leave properly. Stop appeasing the French. The UK Govt is showing more consideration & protection for the French fishermen (which WILL suffer badly under the EU's own rules as their % remains the same of a smaller zone) than they do, or ever did, for UK fishermen. The French are never grateful for being saved.

7. Mike S , Sunday, October 31, 2021, 15:32:

Macron has to be thanking Canadian PM Justin Trudeau for potentially saving his face in public yesterday, most likely he won't though as like a lot of the faecally filled French politicians, not all, just the main one's we are faced with at the moment, he has his head so far up his own rear end as, it did look like Boirs was going to have a 'square go' at him & I for one would have LOVED to have seen Boris give that arrogant, grinning, UK hating, peice of faeces a-hole being given a swift right hook to the jaw! That ,in my view,
would have been so sweet to see & justified! Some might say it wouldn't look good on the international stage for the UK do such a thing but, what would be more acceptable! The behaviour of Macron & his mates in the EU towards the UK? Macron has been committing potential act's of war against us & threats to the wellbeing of British subjects which are also act's of war & needs to be addressed! No-one actually wants an actual real conflict but, if the French want to keep pushing us, they have to expect some sort of response!

8. jon livesey , Sunday, October 31, 2021, 18:28:

It's pretty obvious how this will end up. The French are acting like crooks because Macron wants to look tough for his coming Presidential election. But there is no substance to it, because we have not broken any agreements and so the French will not be able to file a legal case on fishing, so their position will gradually look weaker and weaker. It won't be long before the French are looking for an "Oh, never mind" excuse to back down and try to forget the whole thing.
Talking about "war" is silly. The French are just trying it on to see how far they can push things. The very notion of the French of all people risking a real conflict ignores the past two centuries of ignominious French history.

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