LONDON (Reuters) -Britain is fully in compliance with the rules of its post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union, and wants further talks with French and EU officials over why a UK trawler has been detained by France, a government spokesman said on Thursday.
Earlier on Thursday Britain condemned France’s seizure of a British fishing boat in French waters as “disproportionate” in a dispute over post-Brexit fishing rights that risks spinning out of control.
A spokesman for Prime Minister Boris Johnson said London’s ambassador to France was in touch with Paris’s Europe minister over the matter and Britain’s Environment, Food and Rural Affairs minister was working with the EU commissioners.
“We want to have discussions with the French government and with the EU,” the spokesman said. Asked by a reporter if there were any plans to send in the navy, the spokesman said no.
“We will continue to seek clarity and have those discussions before we decide what the appropriate response is,” he added.
(Reporting by Kylie MacLellan; writing by Kate Holton; editing by David Milliken)
