Le porte-parole du gouvernement français Gabriel Attal a annoncé mercredi qu'une réunion se tiendrait vendredi à Bruxelles à la Commission européenne, au lendemain de la visite à Paris du secrétaire d'Etat britannique chargé du Brexit David Frost pour régler le litige sur la pêche.

"Mon collègue Clément Beaune (secrétaire d'Etat aux Affaires européennes, ndlr) rencontrera M. Frost demain (jeudi) à Paris à ce sujet, et il y aura une autre réunion vendredi à la Commission européenne", a-t-il déclaré à l'issue du Conseil des ministres, répondant en anglais à la question d'une journaliste britannique.

"Je veux rappeler que c'est d'abord un sujet européen et donc la réunion à la Commission européenne sera très importante et il faudra attendre" son issue avant une éventuelle mise en oeuvre de sanctions, a-t-il ajouté.

M. Attal a rappelé que "toutes les options étaient sur la table" concernant de futures sanctions, alors qu'Emmanuel Macron a accordé dimanche aux Britanniques un sursis jusqu'à jeudi avant de mettre en place des mesures si Londres n'acceptait pas la "désescalade" proposée par Paris.

Le porte-parole du gouvernement a réaffirmé que le gouvernement français attendait de Londres qu'il "respecte" ses engagements post-Brexit, notamment "sur les licences de pêche", réfutant l'idée que l'accord signé ait été "vague" sur ce point.

L'accord post-Brexit "n'est pas comme un menu entrée-plat-dessert qui peut venir séparément", a-t-il dit de façon imagée.

Mardi, le Premier ministre britannique Boris Johnson avait indiqué que la position britannique dans ce conflit restait la même: "Vous demandez si le Royaume-Uni a changé de position sur la question de la pêche. La réponse est non", a déclaré le dirigeant conservateur lors d'une conférence de presse à la COP26.

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FS1 : Isn't a bit of easy this year or early.

FS1 : It's a couple of days ago was threatening sanctions over a couple of dozen fishing licenses, there's more at stake here than fish isn't there why our relations with Brexit Britain such an issue.

MS2 : No, actually things are quite simple. What we expect from the UK is for them to respect the Brexit deal that they negotiated during 4 long years and that they sign as for any international deal, which must be respected for every single mirrors on those deals including fishing licenses. When you make a global deal. It is not like 3-course meal which can come in separate parts. It's a global deal and it must be respected. So for now the negotiations around the fishing licenses I are still unfolding. My colleague Boone will meet with Lord David Frost tomorrow in Paris to discuss this matter and there will be another meeting on Friday with the European Commission. And so we will see what comes with those meetings. As you know, the control measures that we announced are still suspended, but all options are on the table and we may need to implement those measures. If we do not reach an agreement.

FS1 : Do you accept the language of force hasn't worked this time.

MS2 : No, I don't want to make any more comments on that matter because important meetings will take place on tomorrow in Paris and on Friday with the European Commission. I want to recall that this is first and for all. A European matter, and so the the meetings that will take place with the European Commission, are very important. We have to wait for those meetings.

FS1 : And what, just final question, what are you concretely looking for in the meetings this week to call off the sanction.

FS2 : I just told you, we are just waiting for one thing is for the UK to respect the deal that they signed a deal was signed a global view this deal comes with different measures, including the fishing licenses and we are waiting for them to respect the deal they negotiated and they sign.

FS1 : But the deal was vague, wasn't it. Is this just a technical miss on.

MS2 : I don't, I really don't think so, I don't think it was that vague and I think this deal can be respected.

MS2 : Why these meetings that will take place on tomorrow and on Friday are very important. Thank you very much on this administration.