Business

France to use ‘language of force’ in post-Brexit fishing rights row

Clément Beaune, has said Paris will “now use the language of force” in an escalation of a row over post-Brexit fishing rights, as French maritime police seized a British trawler found in its territorial waters without a licence.

One vessel had been stopped off Le Havre in the early hours of Thursday morning after which it was rerouted to the quay and “handed over to the judicial authority”, while a second was given a verbal warning.

In a statement, the French government said the checks during the scallop fishing season had been routine but admitted they were conducted “in the context of the discussion on licences with the United Kingdom and the European Commission”.

The French government has been infuriated in recent months by the response of the authorities in the UK and Jersey to post-Brexit applications from French fishing vessels for permits to its waters, which are regulated by the EU-UK trade deal agreed on Christmas Eve last year.

The row blew up on Wednesday when Paris said it would ban British fishing boats landing seafood in key ports from Tuesday unless their received further licences for French vessels and vowed to impose onerous checks on cross-Channel trade.

There was also a threat issued to the UK’s energy supply if those initial sanctions from Paris did not prompt the issuing of extra permits.

The move prompted a dramatic response from Downing Street, where a spokesperson for Boris Johnson said the UK government would retaliate over what was described as a potential breach of international law.

Sources in Brussels confirmed there was not yet support among the other 26 member states for EU action against the UK on the issue through the dispute resolution mechanism in the trade-and-cooperation deal.

Later on Thursday morning, Beaune doubled down, however, on the threat of unilateral French action saying the situation was “not acceptable”. “So now, we need to speak the language of force since that seems to be the only thing this British government understands,” he said. “We have been extremely patient, our fishing boats have been extremely responsible, because it’s a major loss of their activity. From November, it’s over. We’ll open dialogue if the British want dialogue – it’s up to them – but we’ll put in place retaliation measures because there is no reason we shouldn’t have access to their waters when they have access to our ports.”

The UK has claimed that 1,700 EU vessels have now been licensed to fish in UK waters and that 98% of applications for fishing licences had been granted.

The French maritime minister, Annick Girardin, accused the UK of spreading misinformation. “The figure of 98% of licences granted by the United Kingdom to Europeans is false,” she said. “Only 90.3% were. Obviously, the missing 10% are for the French … It has been nine months since French fishermen have no longer been able to work. It is a breach of their signature by the British. That’s enough.”

The main differences between the two sides centres on rights within the 6-12 mile zone from the British coast. Earlier this week, the European Commission said the UK government had approved 15 out of 47 applications for French boats to operate in those coastal waters. A further 15 applications are being considered where evidence of activity in those waters is limited, but 17 applications have been withdrawn by French applicants because of “poor evidence”.

Of greater concern to the French authorities, a third of boats applying to fish in the waters off Jersey, a British crown dependency, have also been turned down by the island’s government.

Barrie Deas, from the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations, the body representing fishers in England, said the descent into a “tit for tat” relationship was “unhelpful”.

He told the BBC’s Today programme: “It may be normal enforcement action but against the background of the threatening noises coming from the French government … it’s very concerning.

“France seems determined to escalate this issue about licences and I suppose we have to wonder why. There’s a presidential election coming up in France and all the signs are that the rhetoric has been ramped up ahead of that on the fishing issue.”

Deas added: “[The amount of] UK vessels landing into French ports is not massive. It’s a bit strange because the French fleets fish much more in UK waters than we fish in their waters.

“Therefore if we descend into a tit-for-tat relationship, I think the French fleet are very much more exposed – I don’t think that’s a very helpful way to go. It’s a strange direction for the French to take, which is why we conclude that this has all been politicised.”

Lord Frost, the UK’s Brexit minister, tweeted that it was “very disappointing” that the French government had made the threats and the government would seek “urgent clarification” of France’s plans and “will consider what further action is necessary in that light”, he said.

Business

Dangote Refinery announces first PMS exports to Cameroon

Dangote Refinery and Neptune Oil jointly announced the first-ever export of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, from Dangote Refinery, Africa’s largest oil refinery, to Cameroon.

The 650,000 barrels per day refinery disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

Dangote Refinery said that the feat is the result of a strategic collaboration between the two companies, underscoring their commitment to strengthening economic ties between Nigeria and Cameroon while meeting the region’s growing energy demands.

Reacting, Aliko Dangote, President and CEO of the Dangote Group, noted that the export of PMS to Cameroon is a tangible demonstration of the group’s vision for a united and energy-independent Africa.

“With this development, we are laying the foundation for a future where African resources are refined and exchanged within the continent for the benefit of our people,” he said.

On his part, Antoine Ndzengue, Director and Owner of Neptune Oil, emphasised that the partnership with Dangote Refinery marks a turning point for Cameroon by becoming the first importer of petroleum products from this world-class refinery.

“We are bolstering our country’s energy security and supporting local economic development. This initial supply, executed without international intermediaries, reflects our commitment to serving our markets independently and efficiently,” he stated.

Business

Ekiti Airport gets NCAA’s approval to commence non-scheduled flight operation December 15

Ekiti Agro-Allied International Cargo Airport (EAICA) Ado-Ekiti has received the approval of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) to commence non-scheduled flight operation effective December 15th, 2024.

The NCAA, in a letter dated December 11, 2024 and addressed to Ekiti State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, said the approval of the non-scheduled operations under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) at the airport is for a period of six months- December 15, 2024 to June 15, 2025.

The letter, which was signed by NCAA Acting Director General Civil Aviation, Capt. Chris Najomo, was in response to the state government’s application for flight operational permit for the airport.

According to NCAA, the approval for a six months non-schedule operation at the airport is to enable the NCAA validate the implementation of the pending findings and to allow Ekiti State Government time to rectify a few outstanding Corrective Action items indicated in the agency’s last inspection report.

As part of compliance steps towards the commencement of the non-scheduled flight operations at the airport, operations are to be in agreement with relevant agencies for provision of essential services, including Air Traffic Services, Aerodrome Rescue and Fire Fighting Services, Aviation Security and Meteorological services.

It will be recalled that the State government had earlier signed MoUs and Service Level Agreements with these federal aviation agencies.

The Government of Ekiti State welcomes NCAA’s approval for the non-scheduled flight operation, which allows private jets and other chartered flights to land and take off from the airport between 6.00am to 6.00pm (or sunrise to sunset), preparatory to the final approval for commercial flight operations.

Most new airports are usually given non-scheduled flight approval to allow them clear audit gaps in their compliance before final approval for flight operational permit.

Governor Biodun Oyebanji describes the NCAA’s approval as a welcome development and a justification for the state’s investment in the airport project, which was designed to boost Ekiti State’s socioeconomic development by making the state more readily accessible.

Governor Oyebanji had earlier in the year assured stakeholders that the Ekiti airport would become operational before the end of the year.

Business

NCAA to punish airline operators for delayed tickets refund

N46bn debt: NCAA threatens to withdraw airlines’ licences

The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, has expressed its readiness to punish any airlines that delay tickets refund to the passengers.

The Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, NCAA, Michael Achimugu, made this known in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja,.

He said tickets refund compliance regulations remain central to the NCAA’s consumer protection agenda.

According to him, the time had come for airlines to adhere strictly to the refund timelines as failure to comply will attract immediate sanctions under Part 19 of the regulations.

The director said Part 19 of the NCAA Regulations 2023 aimed to safeguard passenger rights.

Speaking on a specific case involving Air Peace, the director stated that the airline had exceeded the stipulated refund timeframe, compelling the NCAA to demand swift compliance.

Achimugu added that the incident has triggered the regulators to take decisive action against any form of non-compliance.

“Cash purchases must be refunded immediately, and by cash. Refunds for electronic payments, including mobile apps and internet banking, must occur within 14 days.

“Over the past year, the NCAA has worked with airlines to enhance passenger experience and resolve operational challenges.

”The Authority has maintained a balanced approach, fostering cooperation between operators and regulators to promote better service delivery.

“Most airlines have been responsive, and the relationship between operators and the NCAA has significantly improved, benefiting passengers across the board,” he said.

Achimugu, however, said that the era of leniency had ended with stricter enforcement measures now in place, adding that airlines that failed to meet the refund timelines outlined in the NCAA Regulations 2023 would face sanctions