PURPOSE: to conclude an Agreement making amendments to the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and the financial contribution provided for in the Agreement on cooperation in the sea fisheries sector between the EC and Mauritania for the period 1 August 2001 to 31 July 2006.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Regulation 1316/2006/EC on the conclusion of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters concerning the provisional application of the Protocol amending the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and the financial contribution provided for in the Agreement on cooperation in the sea fisheries sector between the European Community and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania for the period 1 August 2001 to 31 July 2006.

CONTENT: The Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and the financial contribution provided for in the Agreement on cooperation in the sea fisheries sector between the EC and Mauritania applies for the period 1 August 2001 to 31 July 2006. However, in view of the scientific opinions on the state of resources in the Mauritanian EEZ the two parties have decided to amend the existing fishing opportunities. The outcome of those amendments has been the subject of an Exchange of Letters and involves a temporary reduction in the fishing effort for cephalopods, the fixing of a second closed period of one month for demersal fishing, and an increase in the number of pole-and-line tuna vessels and surface longliners and pelagic freezer trawlers.

This Decision approves the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters mentioned above. Following the amendments set out in the Exchange of Letters, the new fishing opportunities for the ‘pole-and-line tuna vessel and surface longliner’ category and for the ‘pelagic freezer trawler’ category are allocated among the Member States in accordance with the terms of the Decision. The temporary suspension of five fishing licences for the cephalopod fishing category shall take effect as from 1 January 2005. The future reactivation of those five licences shall be decided by common accord in a Joint Committee meeting held between the Commission and the Mauritanian authorities on the basis of the state of resources.

If licence applications from Member States do not cover all the fishing opportunities laid down by the Protocol, the Commission may take into consideration licence applications from any other Member State.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 08/09/2006.

Regulation 2006/1316
OJ L 242 05.09.2006, p. 0001-0002

The Council unanimously adopted a Regulation on the conclusion of an agreement concerning the amendments to the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and the financial contribution provided for in the Agreement on cooperation in the sea fisheries sector between the European Community and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania for the period of 1 August 2001 to 31 July 2006.

New fishing opportunities for "pole-and-line tuna vessel and surface longliner" are shared among France (9 vessels), Spain (23 vessels) and Portugal (3 vessels). A temporary reduction of the fishing effort is being applied.

Results of vote in Parliament

The European Parliament adopted a resolution by 456 votes for, 74 against and 61 abstentions by Pedro GUERREIRO (GUE/NGL, PT) approving the conclusion of the Agreement concerning the amendments to the Protocol to the EC/Mauritania fisheries agreement for the period 1 August 2001 to 31 July 2006.

T6-0156/2006

A6-0066/2006

A6-0066/2006

The committee adopted the report by Pedro GUERREIRO (GUE/NGL, PT) approving unamended - under the consultation procedure - the proposed conclusion of the Agreement concerning the amendments to the Protocol to the EC/Mauritania fisheries agreement for the period 1 August 2001 to 31 July 2006. The committee was critical of the serious delay that had occurred in consulting Parliament on a text which was agreed many months earlier and drew attention to the 2005 Interinstitional Agreement which stipulated that Parliament must be provided with information in sufficient time for it to be able to express its point of view if appropriate and for the Commission to be able to take Parliament's views as far as possible into account.

PE370.193

PE365.137

PURPOSE : to conclude an Agreement making amendments to the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and the financial contribution provided for in the Agreement on cooperation in the sea fisheries sector between the EC and Mauritania for the period 1 August 2001 to 31 July 2006

PROPOSED ACT : Council Regulation

CONTENT : The purpose of this proposal is to amend the existing Protocol to the Agreement on cooperation in the sea fisheries sector between the European Community and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.

On the basis of the conclusions of the technical working group comprising representatives of the Mauritanian administration and the European Commission, and in the light of the scientific opinions available, the two parties reached the conclusion at the Joint Committee meeting held on 10 September 2004 in Brussels that a number of measures should be taken concerning the management of the fishing effort in Mauritania's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The Agreement on the amendments to the existing Protocol has been formalised by an Exchange of Letters.

The measures in question are aimed, on the one hand, at reducing the catch rate for cephalopods by decreasing the fishing effort and, on the other, by increasing the number of licences in the pelagic and tuna categories. In order to help integrate fleets flying the flags of the new Member States and guarantee continued access for Community fishing vessels traditionally operating under the above-mentioned Agreement, licences for the pelagic category will be awarded on the basis of the licence applications received from all Member States, taking into account the fishing activities traditionally carried on under this Agreement. If need be, the Commission will make a proposal on the allocation of licences for the pelagic category among the Member States.

The suspension of five cephalopod licences, which was the subject of a consultation with the Member States as far back as March 2004, has now been compensated for under this reorganisation through the issue of these new pelagic licences, thus guaranteeing sound and healthy financial management by allowing fishing opportunities to be adjusted in accordance with resources and sectoral demands. The new balance achieved through this reorganisation was established on the basis of the results of the 2001 negotiations on the existing Protocol and constitutes a very satisfactory outcome for the EC in cost-benefit terms.

The Commission proposes, on this basis, that the Council adopt this Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters on the amendments to the Protocol.

A proposal for a Council Decision on the provisional application of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters on the amendments to the Protocol is the subject of a separate procedure.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS :

Budget line: 110301 : International agreements concerning fisheries

Total resources allocated: EUR 86.000.000 for the EC/Mauritania Agreement currently in force. This amendment to the Protocol does not have any budgetary implications.

Period of application: 1 August 2001 to 31 July 2006

Total estimate of expenditure over five years: EUR 430 million

COM(2005)0591
EUR-Lex

PURPOSE : to conclude an Agreement making amendments to the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and the financial contribution provided for in the Agreement on cooperation in the sea fisheries sector between the EC and Mauritania for the period 1 August 2001 to 31 July 2006

PROPOSED ACT : Council Regulation

CONTENT : The purpose of this proposal is to amend the existing Protocol to the Agreement on cooperation in the sea fisheries sector between the European Community and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.

On the basis of the conclusions of the technical working group comprising representatives of the Mauritanian administration and the European Commission, and in the light of the scientific opinions available, the two parties reached the conclusion at the Joint Committee meeting held on 10 September 2004 in Brussels that a number of measures should be taken concerning the management of the fishing effort in Mauritania's exclusive economic zone (EEZ).

The Agreement on the amendments to the existing Protocol has been formalised by an Exchange of Letters.

The measures in question are aimed, on the one hand, at reducing the catch rate for cephalopods by decreasing the fishing effort and, on the other, by increasing the number of licences in the pelagic and tuna categories. In order to help integrate fleets flying the flags of the new Member States and guarantee continued access for Community fishing vessels traditionally operating under the above-mentioned Agreement, licences for the pelagic category will be awarded on the basis of the licence applications received from all Member States, taking into account the fishing activities traditionally carried on under this Agreement. If need be, the Commission will make a proposal on the allocation of licences for the pelagic category among the Member States.

The suspension of five cephalopod licences, which was the subject of a consultation with the Member States as far back as March 2004, has now been compensated for under this reorganisation through the issue of these new pelagic licences, thus guaranteeing sound and healthy financial management by allowing fishing opportunities to be adjusted in accordance with resources and sectoral demands. The new balance achieved through this reorganisation was established on the basis of the results of the 2001 negotiations on the existing Protocol and constitutes a very satisfactory outcome for the EC in cost-benefit terms.

The Commission proposes, on this basis, that the Council adopt this Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters on the amendments to the Protocol.

A proposal for a Council Decision on the provisional application of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters on the amendments to the Protocol is the subject of a separate procedure.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS :

Budget line: 110301 : International agreements concerning fisheries

Total resources allocated: EUR 86.000.000 for the EC/Mauritania Agreement currently in force. This amendment to the Protocol does not have any budgetary implications.

Period of application: 1 August 2001 to 31 July 2006

Total estimate of expenditure over five years: EUR 430 million

COM(2005)0591
EUR-Lex