The Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) sets up the new UK-EU relationship following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.
Our new UK-EU series summarises key parts of the agreement and what they mean for Wales.
This guide explains the new fisheries arrangements, which are summarised below.
The TCA moves UK-EU fisheries negotiations to an annual cycle and sets up a new timetable of important dates throughout the year.
If the UK and EU can’t agree arrangements for the following year by 20 December each year, provisional arrangements will apply from 1 January. These differ from agreed arrangements.
The TCA divides the new UK-EU fisheries arrangements into two time periods: before and after 30 June 2026. An ‘adjustment period’ is established from 1 January 2021 until 30 June 2026, during which part of the EU’s quota share will be transferred to the UK. From 1 July 2026, UK-EU fishing opportunities and access to waters must be negotiated every year for the following year.
The UK and EU made a number of other commitments in the TCA of relevance to fisheries. These are varied and important aspects of UK-EU fisheries arrangements which the Welsh Government must follow.
They also agreed to establish new joint governance mechanisms to oversee their new arrangements. Fisheries arrangements will be overseen by a joint Specialised Committee on Fisheries. It will oversee mechanisms for UK-EU fisheries disputes, review processes and the option to terminate the new arrangements.
Article by Sara Moran, Senedd Research, Welsh Parliament
