UK PM Johnson says French threats over fishing licences unjustified

ROME (Reuters) – Prime Minister Boris Johnson told European Commission head Ursula von der Leyen on Saturday that French threats in an escalating row with Britain over post-Brexit fishing licences were “completely unjustified”.

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G20 summit in Rome

“The prime minister also raised his concerns about the rhetoric from the French government in recent days over the issue of fishing licences,” Johnson’s office said in a statement after a meeting between the two leaders in Rome at a G20 summit.

“The prime minister stressed that the French threats are completely unjustified and do not appear to be compatible with the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement or wider international law.”

(Reporting by Elizabeth Piper; editing by Michael Holden)