EU steps up fight with the UK over … sand-eels

illuminem summarizes for you the essential news of the day. Read the full piece on POLITICO or enjoy below:

🗞️ Driving the news: The EU is taking legal action against the UK over its post-Brexit ban on sand-eel fishing, accusing it of violating the EU-U.K. Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA)
• The UK imposed the ban to protect endangered seabirds, upsetting EU fishing fleets reliant on sand-eels

🔭 The context: Sand-eels are a critical food source for endangered birds but are also heavily fished by European fleets
• The UK introduced a full ban in 2023, citing environmental priorities
• The EU claims the ban breaches agreed terms for shared resource management under the TCA

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: Protecting sand-eels directly supports seabird populations, many of which are endangered, and highlights post-Brexit tensions between environmental goals and economic interests

⏭️ What's next: The dispute will proceed to an arbitration tribunal, as the EU pushes for changes to the UK’s sand-eel fishing policy under the TCA

💬 One quote: “The ban... throws a lifeline to our seabirds,” - the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds

📈 One stat: A UK consultation found 95.5% of respondents supported a full ban on sand-eel fishing

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