The European Parliament adopted by 557 votes to 34, with 31 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and the Implementing Protocol thereto.

Parliament gave its consent to the conclusion of the agreement.

The agreement will allow French, German, Irish, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Dutch, Polish, Portuguese and Spanish vessels to fish for tuna, small pelagic fish, shellfish and demersal fish in Mauritanian waters. In exchange for this fishery of up to 290 000 tonnes per year, Mauritania will receive EUR 57.5 million annually.

The new agreement is valid for six years and can be tacitly renewed for periods of the same duration. It applies provisionally from 16 November 2021. The new protocol is valid for five years.

The EU financial contribution for sectoral support is set at EUR 16.5 million for the duration of the protocol, which amounts to EUR 3.3 million per year.

The two parties will be able to renegotiate the EU financial contribution and the related fishing opportunities from the third year of application of the Protocol.

The protocol modifies and extends the fishing zone for small pelagics, but on condition that Mauritania proposes a management plan for these stocks. EUR 7.5 million of the EU's financial contribution is conditional on the adoption of a new management plan for small pelagic species.

The new agreement establishes a new coordination body for sectoral support: cellule de coordination. In addition, the improvement of administrative capacity in Mauritania is now included in the areas eligible for sectoral support. The sectoral support provided for in the new protocol is divided into eight areas of intervention, including support for artisanal fisheries and coastal communities, strengthening scientific research, reinforcing control and surveillance activities and providing technical assistance to the Mauritanian authorities.

The new agreement and its protocol contain provisions requiring Mauritania to make public any agreement with a foreign fleet. The protocol also allows EU vessels, in exceptional circumstances, to land their catch outside Mauritanian ports in exceptional circumstances, such as when the land border is blocked.

PURPOSE: to conclude the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and the Implementing 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 Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and its implementing protocol having been signed, the Partnership Agreement and the protocol should be approved.

CONTENT: the Council draft concerns the approval, on behalf of the Union, of the Partnership Agreement on sustainable fisheries between the European Union and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and its implementing Protocol .

The objectives of the Partnership Agreement and the Protocol are to enable EU vessels to carry out their fishing activities in Mauritanian waters and to enable the EU and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania to work closely together in order to continue to promote the development of a sustainable fisheries policy and the responsible exploitation of fisheries resources in Mauritania's fishing zone and in the Atlantic Ocean, in accordance with the objective of conservation of marine biological resources recognised in Union law. This cooperation also helps to establish decent working conditions in the fisheries sector.

The Partnership Agreement establishes a Joint Committee responsible for monitoring the application of the Partnership Agreement and the Protocol. The Joint Committee may approve certain amendments to the Protocol. The Commission will be authorised, subject to specific substantive and procedural conditions, to approve these amendments on behalf of the Union under a simplified procedure.

The Union's position on the proposed amendments to the Protocol will have to be established by the Council. The proposed amendments will have to be approved unless a blocking minority of Member States objects to them.

The Partnership Agreement and the Protocol should enter into force as soon as possible, given the economic importance of the Union's fishing activities in Mauritania's fishing zone and the need to avoid or reduce as far as possible the period during which these activities are interrupted.

PURPOSE: to conclude the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and the Protocol implementing that Agreement.

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 Fisheries Partnership Agreement (FPA) between Mauritania and the European Community entered into force on 8 August 2008 for a period of six years. The agreement is renewable by tacit agreement and is therefore still in force.

A previous four-year protocol for the implementation of the FPA (2015-2019) was extended twice, each time for a period of one year. It expires on 15 November 2021.

In 2018, the Commission carried out an ex-post evaluation of the 2015-2019 FPA Protocol, as well as an ex-ante evaluation of a possible renewal of the FPA Protocol. The evaluation concluded that the EU fishing sector has a strong interest in operating in Gabon and that a renewal of the protocol would be in the interest of both parties. In addition, the renewal of the protocol would contribute to strengthening monitoring, control and surveillance, as well as improving the governance of fisheries activities in the region.

The Commission conducted negotiations with the Government of Mauritania with a view to concluding, on behalf of the European Union, a new Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement and the Implementing Protocol. Following these negotiations, an agreement and a protocol were initialled by the negotiators on 28 July 2021.

The new Agreement covers a period of six years from the date of provisional application, that being the date on which it is signed by both parties. The new Implementing Protocol covers a period of five years from the date of provisional application and contains a clause providing for a review during its second year of application.

CONTENT: the purpose of the proposal is to authorise the conclusion of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Mauritania and the Protocol implementing that Agreement.

Objectives

The conclusion of the Agreement and its implementing Protocol will make it possible to continue and strengthen the strategic partnership in the fisheries sector between the European Union and Mauritania .

The Agreement and the Protocol will also contribute to:

- better management and conservation of fishery resources, through financial (sectoral) support for the implementation of programmes adopted at national level by the partner country, in particular the fisheries comprehensive plan, the monitoring and combating of illegal fishing and support for the small-scale fisheries sector;

- the sustainable exploitation by Mauritania of its marine resources, as well as Mauritania's fisheries economy, by promoting the growth of fisheries-related economic activities and the establishment of decent working conditions.

Fishing opportunities

The new Protocol provides for the same fishing opportunities as the current Protocol during the first 2 years of application, except for a marginal adjustment of the reference tonnage for the two types of tuna vessel. Specifically, it covers the following categories:

- vessels fishing for crustaceans other than spiny lobster and crab: 5 000 tonnes and 15 vessels;

- black hake (non-freezer) trawlers and bottom longliners: 6 000 tonnes and 4 vessels;

- pelagic freezer trawlers targeting black hake: 3 500 tonnes of hake, 1 450 tonnes of squid, 600 tonnes of cuttlefish for 6 vessels;

- vessels fishing for demersal species other than black hake with gear other than trawls: 3 000 tonnes and 6 vessels;

- tuna seiners: 14 000 tonnes (reference tonnage) and 29 vessels;

- pole-and-line tuna vessels and tuna longliners: 7 000 tonnes (reference tonnage) and 15 vessels;

- pelagic freezer trawlers: 247 500 tonnes and 19 vessels;

- non-freezer pelagic vessels: 15 000 tonnes (deducted from the volume under category 6, if used) and 2 vessels.

Financial contribution

For the first 2 years of application of the Protocol, the annual financial contribution for access to Mauritanian waters and fishery resources in those waters is a maximum of EUR 57 500 000 . This amount will be reviewed before the third year of application of the Protocol.

The financial contribution to support the development of Mauritania’s sectoral fisheries policy is maintained at the overall level of the current Protocol, i.e. EUR 16 500 000 for the entire duration of the Protocol, but is spread over a period of 5 years, taking into account the rate of uptake of the funds and amounts that remain available under the current Protocol.