Oh dear. Oh dear. Oh dear. This is the George Eustace interview from last Tuesday with @cathynewman https://www.channel4.com/news/they-are-wrong-environment-secretary-accuses-eu-of-making-things-up-over-brexit-trade-dispute

George Eustace stated "We have had a specific issue on bivalve molluscs, that is mussells and cockells and oysters in particular, where trade has been built on a model of going to restaurants in places like France and being purified whilst on site".

Eustace continues "The EU had said originally that that trade could continue, their own laws provide for it to continue and actually refer to a certificate that would enable it to continue but they have had a change of heart, a policy change"

George Eustace then states "Although there is no legal impediment to this trade the European Union had told us a couple of weeks ago that they weren't going to allow it to continue." That would be around 9th February 2021.

Spin back to 10th December 2020. Letter from George Eustace concerning European Union Prohibitions and Restrictions.

So what has that got to say on export of live bivalve molluscs?

On Tuesday 23rd February George Eustace claimed that he was informed a 'couple of weeks ago' that the EU had decided to ban the export of live bivalve molluscs. Yet he stated last year that exports of live bivalve molluscs to the EU would not be possible after Brexit.

He claimed on Tuesday 23rd February 2021 that there was a certificate that would enable the export of live bivalve molluscs to the EU after Brexit. But last year he was stating the complete opposite.

Just to muddy the waters further, here is the DEFRA guidance on exporting live bivalve molluscs to the EU from Tuesday 2nd February 2021.

Here is the same guidance from Tuesday 23rd February 2021.

So the legislation as it stands no longer permits the export to the EU of live bivalve molluscs caught in class B waters. DEFRA knew this last December and restated it at the beginning of February 2021.

At the same time 'DEFRA is continuing to look for a solution' and 'negotiations are on-going' to resolve this situation. So DEFRA thinks there is a way around this problem.

Which begs the question why suddenly start claiming that the EU had imposed an export ban on live bivalve molluscs when this is clearly not the case? How does this help these 'negotiations'?

The EU seem to have no idea what George Eustice is talking about as regards 'negotiations'.