European Union and the United Kingdom - fisheries consultations: written record 2026

Summary

1. The Trade and Cooperation Agreement (the TCA) [1] between the United Kingdom (UK) and the European Union (EU) includes the objective of cooperating with a view to ensuring that fishing activities for shared stocks in their waters are environmentally sustainable in the long term and contribute to achieving economic and social benefits, and requires the Parties to hold consultations annually to agree the total allowable catches (TACs) for the following year for the stocks listed in Annex 35 to the TCA.
2. A Delegation from the United Kingdom, headed by Mr Mike Dowell, and a Delegation from the European Union, headed by Mrs Eva María Carballeira Fernandez, met in November 2025 to consult on fishing opportunities for 2026, in accordance with Article 498 (Fishing Opportunities) of the TCA. This Written Record documents the outcome of those consultations.
3. The Heads of Delegations agreed to recommend to their respective authorities the fishery arrangements for 2026, outlined in this Written Record, including Annexes 1, 2, 3 and 4. Accordingly, where this Written Record refers to the Delegations (or the Parties) having agreed on a matter, it should be read as an agreement to recommend to the Delegations’ respective authorities to implement the arrangements in this Written Record, including Annexes 1, 2, 3 and 4.
4. The Delegations acknowledge Decision 1/2025 of 18 June 2025 of the Partnership Council as regards the interpretation of Article 508(2)(d) of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement and Decision 1/2025 of 19 June 2025 of the Specialised Committee on Fisheries as regards the arrangements on the level and conditions of access granted by each Party to vessels of the other Party to fish in its waters from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2038.
5. The Parties recall the need to base fisheries measures on the best available science, principally by ICES, to promote sustainability while considering socio-economic impacts.