MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Spain and EC address Brexit consequences for the fish industry

Brexit is one of the main topics on the agenda of Spanish Fisheries Secretary-General Lopez Asenjo in his round of talks with Brussels officials

Spain's Secretary General of Fisheries from the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Food and Environment Alberto Lopez Asenjo has met with representatives of the European Commission (EC) to address the consequences of Brexit for the Spanish fishing fleet and its markets.

 The meeting is part of the bilateral round of consultations that the EC's Maritime and Fisheries Affairs Directorate General is holding with fishing authorities from Member States to discuss different aspects of the negotiation for the departure of the United Kingdom from the European Union, Brexit, and its possible impacts on the European bloc.

Secretary Lopez Ansejo accompanied by the Director General of Fisheries Management and of Fishery Resources and Aquaculture, met in Brussels with the Director General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, Joao Aguiar Machado.

Brexit is one of the main topics on the agenda of the Secretary-General, and for that reason a comprehensive follow-up is being made, betting on a negotiation that is not limited to the availability of quotas, but linked to water access and to conditions of market access.

Madrid's priority is to defend Spanish interests in the Brexit negotiations and to ensure “that there is no harm to our operators or to Spain,” the ministry said in a statement. (FIS)