Europêche welcomes the agreement reached today between the European Union and the United Kingdom, which includes extension of fishing access to each other's waters until 2038. The deal, set to be formalised in London by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, represents a constructive step toward stabilising post-Brexit fisheries relations and supporting long-term cooperation. While the final text and specific access conditions are still pending, the agreement signals a shared intent to promote predictability, mutual benefit and closer collaboration in the management of shared marine resources.

Europêche welcomes the final ruling of the Arbitration Tribunal established under the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) concerning the sandeel fishery, marking a significant step forward for fair and science-based fisheries governance. Europêche expresses strong support for the Tribunal’s decision, which upholds the EU’s interpretation on several pivotal issues and reaffirms fundamental principles guiding fisheries management under the TCA.

The European Commission has launched a public consultation on the sustainable import of fishery products under the EU Autonomous Tariff Quota (ATQ) Regulation[1]. The Commission is looking to possibly adjust the ATQ regime to incorporate sustainability criteria for imported products to benefit from the tariff derogations. Europêche views this as a unique opportunity to transform the duty-free regime, aligning it with the EU's environmental, social, and food sovereignty objectives and ultimately help achieving a level playing field in the EU market.