Cyprus can “act as a facilitator” to help strengthen relations between the European Union and the United Kingdom, European Fisheries Commissioner Costas Kadis said.

“Cyprus and the UK have a longstanding bilateral relationship, which has blossomed in the recent years. I believe that Cyprus can use its good understanding of the UK to act as facilitator in all areas of dialogue with the UK – hopefully allowing bringing all processes a step further, not only on fisheries but on all topics of common concern,” he told the Cyprus Mail.

On this matter, he made reference to an agreement signed by the EU and the UK last year, which allows for fishermen from the EU to fish in British waters, and the inverse, until the end of June 2038.

“Fisheries has always been at the core of our relationship with the United Kingdom, and we approached these discussions with the objective: to deliver stability for our fishers and coastal communities,” he said, adding that unity among the EU’s 27 members was “absolutely essential throughout this process”.

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He explained that this unity “sent a very strong signal to the UK that reciprocal access was not just a technical request from a few member states, but a strategic priority for the entire European Union”.

As such, he said, “by maintaining this common front, we were able to secure a balanced outcome”, allowing “full reciprocal access” for fishermen and eliminating what he described as “a sensitive source of potential tension”.

“Full reciprocal access to each other’s waters ensures stability and predictability for the fleets and safeguards the livelihoods of the coastal regions that depend on the sea. It also allows that future fisheries negotiations focus on sustainable quotas, technical measures, and responsible fisheries management,” he said.

He also said that despite the fact that geography dictates that Cyprus’ fishing industry was not directly impacted by the agreement, “Cypriot citizens will still feel the benefits of the stability this agreement brings”.

“A stable fisheries relationship with the UK strengthens the overall functioning of the single market and contributes to the union’s food security – something that benefits every European consumer. It avoids sudden disruptions, volatility, or tensions which could indirectly affect prices and supply chains,” he said.

He added that stability in an “important” sector such as fisheries “has positive spillovers for all member states, including Cyprus”.

“Even if the impact is not directly felt at the level of fleets, the benefits – in terms of certainty and smoother markets – are very real for Cypriot citizens,” he said.

Asked whether the agreement on fishing rights may predicate a further deepening of ties between the EU and the UK, he said the agreement “shows that the EU and the UK can work together constructively when we have shared interests”.

He pointed out that the agreement on fisheries was signed at last May’s joint EU-UK summit in London, and that that summit “marked the beginning of a new chapter in EU-UK relations”.

“Fisheries was once a source of tension; today it is generally an example of pragmatic, forward-looking cooperation,” he said, before adding that the fruit of May’s summit has seen the UK return to the Erasmus+ education exchange scheme, with the agreement to facilitate that return set to enter effect next year.

That agreement, he said, “will offer significant opportunities across the education, training, sport, and youth sectors for the individuals in the UK and in the EU, particularly for those in the younger generation”.

“I am convinced that trust is the foundation on which further cooperation, in fisheries and beyond, can be built,” he said.