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The EU and UK formalize agreement on full reciprocal access to waters until 2038

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The Specialized Committee on Fisheries (SCF) has adopted a decision setting out long-term arrangements between the EU and the UK, granting full reciprocal access to waters for fishing activities until 30 June 2038. This decision formalises the political agreement reached between the EU and the UK ahead of the EU-UK Summit held in London on 19 May 2025, and represents a key milestone in strengthening bilateral fisheries cooperation. 

The agreement provides legal certainty and long-term stability for fishers on both sides of the Channel. It ensures that EU and UK vessels will continue enjoying full access to each other’s Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) and territorial waters, covering both quota-managed and non-quota fish stocks.

By laying the groundwork for sustained collaboration, this decision reinforces mutual trust and paves the way for continued cooperation in the sustainable management of shared marine resources.

Fisheries and Oceans Commissioner Costas Kadis said:

“This decision represents more than just another step forward—it reaffirms the strength of what the EU and UK can achieve through sustained partnership. By building on the proven foundation of the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement, we are delivering concrete results: stability for our fishing communities, certainty for our fleets, and good neighbourly relations.”

Background

Following the departure of the UK from the EU, most stocks in the EU waters of the north-east Atlantic are now shared with non-EU countries, particularly the UK.

The EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement  (TCA) sets out the fisheries relations between the EU and UK after the UK left the EU, including the establishment of a joint EU-UK Specialised Committee on Fisheries (SCF). The EU and UK work together in the SCF on sustainable management of shared fisheries, as well as other related management issues.

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More information

Decision 1/2025 of the Specialized Committee on Fisheries

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