CONTENT: to conclude the Agreement in the form of an exchange of letters between the European Union and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania concerning the extension to the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, expiring on 15 November 2019.

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: in accordance with a Council Decision, the Agreement in the form of an exchange of letters concerning the extension of the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and Mauritania, expiring on 15 November 2019, was signed. It is now necessary for it to be approved.

CONTENT: the draft Council Decision concerns the approval, on behalf of the Union, of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania concerning the extension of the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, expiring on 15 November 2019.

The objective of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters is to enable the European Union and Mauritania to continue to work together on promoting a sustainable fisheries policy and the sound exploitation of fisheries resources in Mauritanian waters and to allow Union vessels to carry out their fishing activities in those waters.

PURPOSE: to allocate the fishing opportunities under the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania for a maximum period of one year.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Regulation.

BACKGROUND: this procedure is initiated in parallel with the procedures for Council Decisions authorising the signature and provisional application and the conclusion of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters concerning the extension for a maximum period of one year of the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and the financial contribution for the implementation of the Agreement.

Pending completion of the negotiations on the renewal of the Agreement and its Protocol, the Commission negotiated, on behalf of the European Union, an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters on an extension for a maximum period of one year to the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution for implementing the Agreement. At the end of those negotiations, the Exchange of Letters was initialled on 4 September 2019.

The method of allocating these fishing opportunities among the Member States should be defined.

CONTENT: the draft Council Regulation provides that the fishing opportunities established by the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and Mauritania for the period of validity of the Protocol shall be allocated among the Member States as follows:

Vessels fishing for crustaceans other than spiny lobster and crab: 5 000 tonnes (Spain 4 150 tonnes, Italy 600 tonnes, Portugal 250 tonnes) and 25 vessels; Black hake (non-freezer) trawlers and bottom longliners: 6 000 tonnes (Spain) and 6 vessels; Black hake (freezer) trawlers: (Spain : black hake: 3 500 tonnes, squid: 1 450 tonnes, cuttlefish: 600 tonnes); Vessels fishing for demersal species other than black hake with gear other than trawls: 3 000 tonnes and 6 vessels; Tuna seiners: 12 500 tonnes (reference tonnage) and 25 vessels; Spain : 14 annual licences ; France : 1 annual licence; Pole-and-line tuna vessels and longliners: 7 500 tonnes (reference tonnage) and 15 vessels; Pelagic freezer trawlers: 225 000 tonnes (Germany 12 560 tonnes; France 2 615 tonnes; Latvia 53 913 tonnes; Lithuania 57 642 tonnes; Netherlands 62 592 tonnes; Poland 26 112 tonnes; United Kingdom 8531 tonnes; Ireland 8 535 tonnes), and 19 vessels; Non-freezer pelagic vessels: 15 000 tonnes (Ireland).

The Regulation shall apply from the date of signature of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters.

PURPOSE: signature and provisional application of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania on the extension of the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and Mauritania, expiring on 15 November 2019.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

BACKGROUND: the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania entered into force on 8 August 2008. Its Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Agreement, which entered into force on the same day for a period of two years, has been replaced several times.

The last Protocol to the Agreement expires on 15 November 2019. On 8 July 2019, the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations with Mauritania on a new Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement and a Protocol implementing the Agreement.

Pending completion of the negotiations on the renewal of the Agreement and its Protocol, the Commission negotiated, on behalf of the European Union, an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters on an extension for a maximum period of one year to the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution for implementing the Agreement. At the end of those negotiations, the Exchange of Letters was initialled on 4 September 2019.

CONTENT: the Commission proposes that the Council decide to authorise, on behalf of the Union, the signing of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania on the extension of the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and Mauritania, expiring on 15 November 2019.

The Protocol shall:

- grant fishing opportunities to European Union vessels in Mauritanian waters in accordance with scientific advice and the recommendations of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT);

- enhance cooperation between the European Union and Mauritania, thereby creating a partnership framework within which to develop a sustainable fisheries policy and sound exploitation of fishery resources in the fishing zone of Mauritania, in the interests of both parties.

The one-year extension to the framework laid down by the Protocol which will expire on 15 November 2019 plays a role in the negotiation process aimed at ensuring the continuity of fishing activity by the European fleet operating in Mauritanian waters.

The annual financial contribution from the European Union is EUR 61 625 000, based on:

(a) an annual amount for access to fishery resources for the categories provided for in the Protocol, set at EUR 57 500 000 for the duration of the extension to the Protocol;

(b) support for the development of Mauritania’s sectoral fisheries policy amounting to EUR 4 125 000 for the duration of the extension to the Protocol.

CONTENT: to conclude the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania on an extension to the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, expiring on 15 November 2019.

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: on 8 July 2019, the Council adopted a mandate1 authorising the European Commission to open negotiations to renew the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the EU and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and the Protocol implementing that Agreement which sets out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution and which will expire on 15 November 2019.

The mandate lays down that in the event of the negotiations for a new Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA) and Protocol between the European Union and Islamic Republic of Mauritania taking longer than expected and to avoid fishing activity being interrupted for a long period of time, the Commission should be able to agree on an extension to the current Protocol with the Islamic Republic of Mauritania for a maximum period of one year, while continuing to try to reach an agreement for a new SFPA and Protocol in line with the objectives set out in the mandate.

Due to the complex nature of the negotiations, both parties agreed to extend the current Protocol for a maximum period of one year, in line with the mandate from the Council. The extension was established by way of an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters which was initialled on 4 September 2019 in Brussels.

The extension of the existing Protocol to the FPA avoids the interruption of fishing activities by European vessels when the Protocol expires on 15 November 2019. It will be effective for a maximum period of one year, pending the finalisation of negotiations for the renewal of the JPA.

CONTENT: the Commission proposes that the Council decide to approve, on behalf of the Union, the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania on the extension of the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, expiring on 15 November 2019.

Objective

The aim of the Exchange of Letters is to enable the European Union and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania to continue working together to promote a sustainable fisheries policy, the sound exploitation of fisheries resources in Mauritanian waters and to allow EU vessels to fish in those waters.

The Protocol enables the establishment of a strategic fisheries partnership between the European Union and Mauritania. The Protocol will also contribute to better management and conservation of fishery resources, through financial support (sectoral support) for the implementation of programmes adopted at national level by the partner country, in particular as regards monitoring and combating illegal fishing, and support for the small-scale fisheries sector.

Fishing opportunities

The Protocol provides for fishing opportunities in the following categories:

Vessels fishing for crustaceans other than spiny lobster and crab: 5 000 tonnes and 25 vessels; Black hake (non-freezer) trawlers and bottom longliners: 6 000 tonnes and 6 vessels; Black hake (freezer) trawlers: (black hake: 3 500 tonnes, squid: 1 450 tonnes, cuttlefish: 600 tonnes); Vessels fishing for demersal species other than black hake with gear other than trawls: 3 000 tonnes and 6 vessels; Tuna seiners: 12 500 tonnes (reference tonnage) and 25 vessels; Pole-and-line tuna vessels and longliners: 7 500 tonnes (reference tonnage) and 15 vessels; Pelagic freezer trawlers: 225 000 tonnes (may be exceeded by a maximum of 10%) and 19 vessels; Non-freezer pelagic vessels: 15 000 tonnes (deducted from volume under category 6 if used) and 2 vessels.

Financial contribution

The annual financial contribution has been set at EUR 61 625 000 for a maximum period of one year for the purposes of the extension, on the basis of:

(a) an annual amount for access to fisheries resources, for the categories provided for in the Protocol, fixed at EUR 57 500 000 for the duration of the extension of the Protocol.

(b) support for the development of Mauritania's sectoral fisheries policy for an annual amount of EUR 4 125 000 for the duration of the extension of the Protocol. This support meets the objectives of the national policy for the sustainable management of continental and marine fisheries resources for the duration of the Protocol.

The annual amount for commitment and payment appropriations shall be established during the annual budgetary procedure.

The Exchange of Letters relating to the extension also lays down a pro-rata reduction clause in the event that the negotiations to renew the Partnership Agreement and its Protocol result in these being signed and subsequently entering into force prior to the expiry of the annual extension to which the Exchange of Letters applies.