Brexit trade talks are heading for the rocks over fishing rights, UK and EU negotiators admitted.
Both sides said there was no real progress made at the end of the fourth round of talks on a post-Brexit trade deal.
The UK wants total control of the fishing catch and annual negotiations to allow access to EU boats - while Brussels wants to tie a fisheries framework agreement to the wider trade deal and keep current access and quota sharing.
Scottish fishing boats owners have 60 per cent of the UK’s fishing quota but most of this is in the hands of a few powerful operators. Over half of England’s fishing quota is foreign-owned.
Amid growing suspicion that the UK government is using fishing as a cover to walk away from talks, EU chief negotiator Michel Barnier said: “My responsibility is to speak to truth - and to tell the truth this week there have been no significant areas of progress.”
Barnier said both sides had wanted to agree a position on fishing by July. He insisted: “There won't be an agreement on trade if there isn’t one on fisheries.”
David Frost, the chief UK negotiator, said: “If we are to make progress, it is clear that we must intensify and accelerate our work. We are discussing with the commission how this can best be done.”
The UK has said it would conclude by the end of June if it was worth continuing with talks.
But there are signs that negotiations will continue into the autumn after the whole issue is kicked upstairs to a meeting between Boris Johnson and EU President Ursula Von der Leyen at the end of this month.
Ending talks would force the UK out of the transition period with no replacement trade deal. That would slap tariffs on many exports and cause a barrage of paperwork for relations with the continent.
Barnier said “the door is still open” for the UK to extend the transition period but Johnson has ruled that out.
Barnier added: "However, if there is no joint decision to such an extension, as is the case now, if there is no change, the UK will leave the single market and the customs union on December 31.”
