Thread by @tconnellyRTE

Update on the fisheries negotiations:

@MichelBarnier has held one meeting this morning with sherpas from the 8 coastal states and another began at 1300 CET. He's essentially testing their room for manoeuvre on access and quota share but getting strong push back

2/ As a reminder, the EU starting position was that European fleets wd forego 15-18pc of the overall value of fish caught by EU boats in UK waters (€650m); the UK said that figure shd be closer to 80pc, although it has since come down to 60pc

3/ The EU proposed a 10 year phasing in period at the end of which there would be a review that would be tied to continued access to the overall single market. The UK proposed 3yrs after which all bets are off

4/ In talks with sherpas, I understand that Barnier has said if he can push the quota share from 15pc-18pc up to 22pc-23pc, while moving the phase in period down from 10 yrs to 8 or 7 yrs there may be a deal. Although the UK is still playing hardball on both so that's not clear

5/ The UK is still insisting on stripping out the pelagic stocks from this overall deal and having them dealt with through the more informal forum of coastal states which includes Russia, Iceland, Norway, Faroes, Greenland etc

6/ I'm told the UK is still bent on excluding all EU vessels (ie, mainly French ones) from its 6m-12m zone.

7/ Among those pushing back hardest against Barnier's efforts are said to the Danes. Their big species ex UK waters is sand eels, and they are caught largely by Jutland fishermen. Danes arguing that area has been devastated by the Coronavirus-linked cull of mink farms, I'm told

8/ All told, a lot of hard bargaining going on...