Activites

• 2017/02/14 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T8-0019/2017 summary

    The European Parliament adopted by 578 votes to 95, with 16 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on the conclusion on behalf of the European Union of a Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Government of the Cook Islands and the Implementation Protocol thereto. Parliament gave its consent to the conclusion of the Agreement. It was recalled that, at present, there are no EU vessels fishing in Cook Islands waters. Concluding a Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement is a strategic choice for the EU and the Cook Islands that will provide fishing opportunities for vessels flying the flags of Member States, theoretically on the basis of the best scientific advice available, subject to compliance with the conservation and management measures laid down by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) within the limits of the available surplus. Therefore, Parliament considered that the Agreement and its Protocol should be adopted given their importance both to the Cook Islands and to the EU fleets operating in their waters. It also stressed that it should be kept fully informed, at every stage, without delay about procedures related to the Protocol or its renewal.

• 2017/01/30 Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading
  • A8-0010/2017 summary

    The Committee on Fisheries adopted the recommendation by João FERREIRA (GUE/NGL, PT) on the draft Council decision on the conclusion on behalf of the European Union of a Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Government of the Cook Islands and the Implementation Protocol thereto. The committee recommended the European Parliament to give its consent to the conclusion of the Agreement. Members recalled that the Cook Islands have traditionally allowed vessels from other countries to have access to their exclusive economic zone (EEZ). These Islands, which border Kiribati, Tokelau, French Polynesia, American Samoa, Niue, and high sea areas, extend over 1.98 million km2. This adds to the economic potential of the fisheries sector, but also entails problems as regards monitoring and control, since illegal, unregulated, and unreported fishing is difficult to tackle over so vast an area in which resources are scattered so widely. At present there are no EU vessels fishing in Cook Islands waters. Concluding a Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement is a strategic choice for the EU and the Cook Islands that will provide fishing opportunities for vessels flying the flags of Member States, theoretically on the basis of the best scientific advice available, subject to compliance with the conservation and management measures laid down by the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) within the limits of the available surplus. Therefore, Members recommended that the European Parliament approve the conclusion of the Protocol, given its importance both to the Cook Islands and to the EU fleets operating in their waters. They also stressed that the Agreement and its future prospects need to be assessed and studied in more detail and that Parliament must, at every stage, be kept fully informed without delay about procedures related to the Protocol or its renewal.

• 2017/01/26 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
• 2016/10/27 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 2016/04/26 Legislative proposal published
  • 07592/2016 summary

    OBJECTIF : conclure l’accord de partenariat dans le domaine de la pêche durable entre l’Union européenne et le gouvernement des Îles Cook et son protocole de mise en œuvre. ACTE PROPOSÉ : décision du Conseil. RÔLE DU PARLEMENT EUROPÉEN : le Conseil ne peut adopter l’acte que si le Parlement européen a approuvé celui-ci. CONTEXTE : l'Union et le gouvernement des Îles Cook ont négocié un accord de partenariat dans le domaine de la pêche durable d'une durée de 5 ans renouvelable par reconduction tacite, ainsi qu'un protocole de mise en œuvre de cet accord accordant aux navires de l'Union des possibilités de pêche dans les eaux sur lesquelles les Îles Cook disposent de droits souverains ou qui sont sous sa juridiction en matière de pêche. L'accord et le protocole ont été signés conformément à une décision du Conseil et s'appliquent provisoirement à partir de la date de sa signature. Il convient maintenant d'approuver l'accord et le protocole au nom de l’Union européenne. CONTENU : la Commission propose que le Conseil adopte une décision portant conclusion de l’accord de partenariat dans le domaine de la pêche durable entre l'Union européenne et le gouvernement des Îles Cook et de son protocole de mise en œuvre. Le nouvel accord fournit un cadre tenant compte des priorités de la politique commune de la pêche réformée et de sa dimension externe, en vue d'un partenariat stratégique entre l'Union européenne et les Îles Cook. Il établit les principes, les règles et les procédures applicables en la matière. L'objectif principal du nouveau protocole est d'offrir des possibilités de pêche pour les navires de l'Union dans la zone de pêche des Îles Cook, en vue de favoriser une politique de pêche durable et l'exploitation responsable des ressources halieutiques dans la zone de pêche des Îles Cook. Pour connaître les autres points essentiels de la proposition, se reporter au résumé de la proposition initiale de la Commission daté du 22.3.2016 sur la présente fiche de procédure. Commission mixte : l’accord institue par ailleurs une commission mixte chargée de contrôler l'exécution, l'interprétation et l'application de l'accord. Celle-ci sera également appelée à approuver certaines modifications au protocole. A cette fin, la Commission sera habilitée à approuver ces décisions selon une procédure simplifiées

  • DG {'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/maritime-affairs-and-fisheries_en', 'title': 'Maritime Affairs and Fisheries'}, VELLA Karmenu
• 2016/03/22 Initial legislative proposal published
  • COM(2016)0146 summary

    PURPOSE: to conclude a Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Government of the Cook Islands and the Implementation Protocol thereto.PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act. BACKGROUND: the Commission conducted negotiations with the Government of the Cook Islands with a view to concluding a new Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement and an Implementation Protocol thereto between the European Union and the Cook Islands.Following these negotiations, a new Agreement and Protocol were initialled on 21 October 2015. They cover a period of eight years and four years respectively from the date of their provisional application, i.e. from the date of their signature.CONTENT: the Commission proposes that the Council adopt by Decision the conclusion of this new Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Government of the Cook Islands and the Implementation Protocol Agreement.The new Agreement will provide for a framework taking into account the priorities of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy and its external dimension, with a view to establishing a strategic partnership between the European Union and the Cook Islands.This Agreement establishes the principles, rules and procedures governing:the conditions under which Union vessels may engage in fishing activities in the Cook Islands' fishing areas;economic, financial, technical and scientific cooperation in the fisheries sector with a view to promoting responsible fishing in the Cook Islands' fishery waters;cooperation on the management, control and surveillance measures for policing fisheries in the Cook Islands' fishery waters.The main objective of the new Protocol is to provide fishing opportunities to Union vessels in the Cook Islands fishing zone, on the basis of the best available scientific advice and respecting the conservation and management measures of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) where applicable within the limits of the available surplus.The aim is also to enhance cooperation between the European Union and the Cook Islands to promote a sustainable fisheries policy and sound exploitation of fisheries resources in the Cook Islands’ fishing zone, in the interests of both parties.The Protocol provides for fishing opportunities for 4 tuna seiners to fish for highly migratory species as listed in Annex 1 of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.The Agreement and the Implementation Protocol thereto also provide for the possibility of their suspension or termination in the event of a breach by either one of the Parties of the respect for human rights.BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: the total financial contribution shall be EUR 2 870 000 for the whole duration of this Protocol. This total financial contribution shall comprise two dissociated elements:an annual amount for access to the Cook Islands' fishery areas of EUR 385 000 for the first and second year, and of EUR 350 000 for the third and fourth year, equivalent to a reference tonnage of 7 000 tonnes per year, anda specific annual amount of EUR 350 000 for the support and implementation of the Cook Islands' sectoral fisheries policy.

  • DG {'url': 'http://ec.europa.eu/info/departments/maritime-affairs-and-fisheries_en', 'title': 'Maritime Affairs and Fisheries'}, VELLA Karmenu

Documents

• Initial legislative proposal published: COM(2016)0146
• Legislative proposal published: 07592/2016
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A8-0010/2017
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T8-0019/2017

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)