BREXIT Fisheries Fight: Outrageous and 'costly' demand Brussels made to UK revealed

The European Union has infuriated the UK with its Brexit talks demands - this included its stance on the issue of fisheries.

The tension over access to UK waters has remained a key issue since the very start of Brexit withdrawal negotiations. In March 2018, the EU published its draft negotiating objectives for a new post-Brexit partnership with the UK. But Brussels aced accusations of cherry-picking after demanding that Britain allow access to its fishing waters after Brexit while pledging to limit the ability of UK finance firms to operate on the Continent.

The six-page document warned Britain to expect “negative economic consequences” from Brexit saying the new relationship would be “complicated and costly” and “inevitably lead to frictions”.

Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, insisted that although he and other European governments did not want “to build a wall between the EU and Britain” there would be barriers to trade after Brexit because Britain would leave the single market and customs union.

He said: “This will be the first free trade agreement in history that loosens economic ties, instead of strengthening them."

Earlier this year, the EU's chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, set out similar red lines for trade talks with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

Ministers in Brussels said a deal between the UK and EU could only happen if Mr Johnson granted the bloc access to British waters.

The EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier told a press conference after the talks that fishing rights must be included in the deal or there "won't be any agreement at all".