PURPOSE: to conclude a Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the Community and the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Council Regulation (EC) No 242/2008 on the conclusion of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire.

CONTENT: the purpose of this Regulation is to approve the new Protocol, (31 July 2007 to 30 June 2013). The main objective of the new Partnership Agreement is to strengthen cooperation between the EC and Côte d’Ivoire. The two Parties will take part in a political dialogue on topics of mutual interest in the fisheries sector. Within this new Fisheries Partnership Agreement, special attention will be given to supporting the fisheries policy of Côte d’Ivoire. In this context, the two Parties agree on the priorities to be decided upon for such support and will identify the objectives, the annual and multiannual programming and the criteria to assess the results to be obtained, with a view to ensuring a sustainable and responsible management of the sector.

The financial contribution is fixed at EUR 595 000 per year . It will be allocated in full to the support and implementation of initiatives taken in the context of the sectoral fisheries policy drawn up by the Government of Côte d’Ivoire.

In terms of fishing opportunities, 25 purse seiners and 15 surface longliners will be authorised to fish. However, at the request of the Community, exploratory fishing trips may be carried out under the Agreement. If they are conclusive, the Parties may decide to award new fishing opportunities to Community vessels. The Protocol also includes a review clause allowing the Protocol and the Annexes to be amended following its third anniversary if the Joint Committee deems it necessary.

The fishing opportunities set out in the Protocol to the Agreement shall be allocated among the Member States as follows:

25 purse seiners:

France : 10 vessels; Spain : 15 vessels.

15 longliners:

Spain : 10 vessels; Portugal : 5 vessels.

The Partnership Agreement also provides for encouraging economic, scientific and technical cooperation in the fisheries and related sectors.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 25 March 2008

The European Parliament adopted, by 568 to 65 with 17 abstentions, a legislative resolution amending the proposal for a regulation on the conclusion of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement with Côte d’Ivoire.

The report had been tabled for consideration in plenary by Daniel VARELA SUANZES-CARPEGNA (EPP-ED, ES) on behalf of the Committee on Fisheries.

The principal amendments - adopted under the consultation procedure - are based on the need for transparency and the improvement of information provided to Parliament on the implementation of the agreement. In particular, MEPs call on the Commission to provide the Parliament with the following information:

the conclusions of the meetings of the joint committee referred to in Article 9 of the Partnership Agreement, in order to better evaluate the agreement; an annual report on the results of the multiannual sectoral programming planned for the protocol (in order to discover whether the compensation paid by the EU is accurately calculated and whether it does, in fact, encourage sustainable exploitation of Côte d’Ivoire’s fishery resources); a report on the application of the agreement and the conditions under which it was implemented, during the final year of the protocol's validity and before another agreement is concluded on its renewal. On the basis of this report and following consultation with the European Parliament, the Council shall grant the Commission a new negotiating mandate with a view to the adoption of a new protocol .

The Commission shall evaluate each year whether the Member States whose vessels operate under the Protocol have complied with reporting requirements. Where they have not so complied, the Commission shall withhold their requests for fishing licences for the following year.

The Committee on Fisheries adopted the report by Daniel VARELA SUANZES-CARPEGNA (EPP-ED, ES) amending, under the consultation procedure, the proposal for a regulation on the conclusion of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement with Côte d’Ivoire.

The principal amendments are based on the transparency and improvement of information provided by the European Parliament on the implementation of the agreement. In particular, MEPs call on the Commission to provide the Parliament with the following information:

the conclusions of the meetings of the joint committee referred to in Article 9 of the Partnership Agreement, in order to better evaluate the agreement; an annual report on the results of the multiannual sectoral programming planned for the protocol (in order to discover whether the compensation paid by the EU is accurately calculated and whether it does, in fact, encourage sustainable exploitation of Côte d’Ivoire’s fishery resources) and on the adherence of Member States to the demands in terms of catch reporting arrangements (if this were not the case, the Commission could refuse fishing licence applications made by these countries the following year); a report on the application of the agreement and the conditions under which it was implemented, during the final year of the protocol's validity and before another agreement is concluded on its renewal; on the basis of this report and following consultation with the European Parliament, the Council shall grant the Commission a new negotiating mandate with a view to the adoption of a new protocol.

PURPOSE: to conclude the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and Côte d’Ivoire.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Regulation.

CONTENT: the EC and Côte d’Ivoire negotiated and initialled, on 5 April 2007, a Fisheries Partnership Agreement which provides Community fishermen with fishing opportunities in Côte d’Ivoire’s fishing zone. This Partnership Agreement, accompanied by a Protocol and the Annex, was signed for a period of six years and is renewable. On the date of its entry into force, this Agreement repeals and replaces the Agreement between the European Economic Community and Côte d’Ivoire on fishing off the coast of Côte d’Ivoire which entered into force on 19 December 1990.

The previous Protocol to the Fisheries Agreement between the European Community and Côte d’Ivoire ( CNS/2004/0211 ) is due to expire on 30 June 2007. The new Protocol covers the period from 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2013 .

The main objective of the new Partnership Agreement is to strengthen cooperation between the EC and Côte d’Ivoire. The two Parties are taking part in a political dialogue on topics of mutual interest in the fisheries sector. Within this new Fisheries Partnership Agreement, special attention will be given to supporting the fisheries policy of Côte d’Ivoire. In this context, the two Parties will agree on the priorities to be decided upon for such support and will identify the objectives, the annual and multiannual programming and the criteria to assess the results to be obtained, with a view to ensuring a sustainable and responsible management of the sector.

The financial contribution is fixed at EUR 595 000 per year . It will be allocated in full to the support and implementation of initiatives taken in the context of the sectoral fisheries policy drawn up by the Government of Côte d’Ivoire.

In terms of fishing opportunities, 25 seiners and 15 surface longliners will be authorised to fish. However, at the request of the Community, exploratory fishing trips may be carried out under the Agreement. If they are conclusive, the Parties may decide to award new fishing opportunities to Community vessels. The Protocol also includes a review clause allowing the Protocol and the Annexes to be amended following its third anniversary if the Joint Committee deems it necessary.

The fishing opportunities set out in the Protocol to the Agreement shall be allocated among the Member States as follows:

- 25 purse seiners France: 10 vessels, Spain: 15 vessels;

- 15 longliners Spain: 10 vessels, Portugal: 5 vessels.

The Partnership Agreement also provides for encouraging economic, scientific and technical cooperation in the fisheries and related sectors.

PURPOSE: to conclude the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and Côte d’Ivoire.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Regulation.

CONTENT: the EC and Côte d’Ivoire negotiated and initialled, on 5 April 2007, a Fisheries Partnership Agreement which provides Community fishermen with fishing opportunities in Côte d’Ivoire’s fishing zone. This Partnership Agreement, accompanied by a Protocol and the Annex, was signed for a period of six years and is renewable. On the date of its entry into force, this Agreement repeals and replaces the Agreement between the European Economic Community and Côte d’Ivoire on fishing off the coast of Côte d’Ivoire which entered into force on 19 December 1990.

The previous Protocol to the Fisheries Agreement between the European Community and Côte d’Ivoire ( CNS/2004/0211 ) is due to expire on 30 June 2007. The new Protocol covers the period from 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2013 .

The main objective of the new Partnership Agreement is to strengthen cooperation between the EC and Côte d’Ivoire. The two Parties are taking part in a political dialogue on topics of mutual interest in the fisheries sector. Within this new Fisheries Partnership Agreement, special attention will be given to supporting the fisheries policy of Côte d’Ivoire. In this context, the two Parties will agree on the priorities to be decided upon for such support and will identify the objectives, the annual and multiannual programming and the criteria to assess the results to be obtained, with a view to ensuring a sustainable and responsible management of the sector.

The financial contribution is fixed at EUR 595 000 per year . It will be allocated in full to the support and implementation of initiatives taken in the context of the sectoral fisheries policy drawn up by the Government of Côte d’Ivoire.

In terms of fishing opportunities, 25 seiners and 15 surface longliners will be authorised to fish. However, at the request of the Community, exploratory fishing trips may be carried out under the Agreement. If they are conclusive, the Parties may decide to award new fishing opportunities to Community vessels. The Protocol also includes a review clause allowing the Protocol and the Annexes to be amended following its third anniversary if the Joint Committee deems it necessary.

The fishing opportunities set out in the Protocol to the Agreement shall be allocated among the Member States as follows:

- 25 purse seiners France: 10 vessels, Spain: 15 vessels;

- 15 longliners Spain: 10 vessels, Portugal: 5 vessels.

The Partnership Agreement also provides for encouraging economic, scientific and technical cooperation in the fisheries and related sectors.