France threatens EU legal action if UK sticks to fishing licence stance

FILE PHOTO: French minister for European affairs Clement Beaune answers journalists as he arrives at a General Affairs meeting in Luxembourg June 22, 2021. John Thys/Pool via REUTERS

PARIS (Reuters) -France will ask the European Union to start legal action against Britain if it fails to issue more fishing licences by a Friday deadline set by the European Commission, a French minister said.

Clement Beaune, the junior European Affairs Minister, also accused British Prime Minister Boris Johnson of trying unsuccessfully to isolate France in the dispute over post-Brexit fishing licences for French fishermen.