The European Parliament adopted by 613 votes to 3, with 20 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision authorising Poland to ratify, in the interest of the European Union, the amendment to the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Pollock Resources in the Central Bering Sea.

Parliament gave its consent to authorise Poland to ratify the amendment to the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Pollock Resources in the Central Bering Sea.

Poland is hereby authorised to ratify, in the interest of the European Union, the amendment to Article XVI.4 of the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Pollock Resources in the Central Bering Sea to allow for the accession of regional economic integration organisations to the Convention.

It is recalled that Poland is a Contracting Party to the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Pollock Resources in the Central Bering Sea. The Union is not a party to the Convention.

By decision of 11 April 2016, the Council authorised Poland to negotiate, in the interest of the Union, an amendment to the Convention to allow the Union to become a full party to the Convention. To this end, Poland proposed an amendment to the Convention to allow participation of regional economic integration organisations and to allow for the European Union to become party to the Convention. Poland proposed the said amendment to the Convention to the Depositary of the Convention in October 2016.

The Committee on Fisheries adopted the report by Elżbieta RAFALSKA (ECR, PL) on the draft Council decision authorising the Republic of Poland to ratify, in the interest of the European Union, the amendment to the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Pollock Resources in the Central Bering Sea.

As a reminder, Poland has been a contracting party to this organisation since 1994. After Poland joined the EU in 2004, the conservation and management of pollock resources in the Central Bering Sea was set to be managed by the EU by virtue of the Accession Act.

However, the Convention text currently only envisages the membership of States. It would therefore need to be amended to allow the EU to become a contracting party as a regional economic integration organisation. Poland proposed an amendment to the Convention in order to allow participation of regional economic integration organisations and to allow for the European Union to become party to the Convention.

The committee recommended the European Parliament to give its consent to the authorisation of Poland to ratify the amendment to the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Pollock Resources in the Central Bering Sea.

The objectives of the Convention are to:

- establish an international regime for the conservation, management and optimum utilisation of pollock resources in the Convention area;

- restore and maintain pollock resources in the Bering Sea at levels that will provide for their maximum sustainable yield;

- cooperate in the gathering and analysis of factual information concerning pollock and other living marine resources in the Bering Sea; and

- provide, if the Parties agree, a forum in which to consider the development of conservation and management measures for marine living resources other than pollock in the Convention Area, as may be necessary in the future.

PURPOSE: to authorise Poland to ratify, in the interest of the European Union, the amendment to the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Pollock Resources in the Central Bering Sea.

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: Poland is a Contracting Party to the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Pollock Resources in the Central Bering Sea. The Union is not a party to the Convention. By virtue of the 2003 Act of Accession, as from the date

of accession, fisheries agreements concluded by acceding Member States with third countries are to be managed by the Union. The Union should therefore implement in its legal order any decisions established under the Convention.

It is in the Union's interest to play an effective role in the implementation of the Convention.

By its Decision of 11 April 2016, the Council authorised Poland to negotiate, in the interest of the Union, an amendment to the Convention that would allow the participation of the Union as a full party to the Convention. To that end, Poland was to propose an amendment to the Convention in order to allow the participation of regional economic integration organisations and to allow for the Union to become a party to the Convention.

In October 2016, Poland proposed such an amendment to the Convention to the Depositary of the Convention. Poland should therefore be authorised to ratify the amendment to the Convention.

CONTENT: under the draft Council decision, Poland would be authorised to ratify, in the interest of the European Union, the amendment to Article XVI.4 of the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Pollock Resources in the Central Bering Sea to allow for the accession of regional economic integration organisations to the Convention.

The draft decision meets the objective of promoting consistency in the Union's conservation approach across oceans and reinforce its commitment to the long-term conservation and sustainable use of fisheries resources globally.

PURPOSE: to authorise Poland to ratify, in the interest of the European Union, the amendment to the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Pollock Resources in the Central Bering Sea.

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: Poland, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Russia and the USA signed the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Pollock Resources in the Central Bering Sea in 1994. The EU is not a party to the Convention.

After Poland joined the EU in 2004, the conservation and management of pollock resources in the Central Bering Sea was to be the responsibility of the EU under the Act of Accession. However, the text of the Convention currently limits accession to the Convention to States. It is therefore important to amend the text to allow the EU to become a contracting party as a regional economic integration organisation.

A Council decision authorised Poland to negotiate, in the interest of the European Union, an amendment to the Convention that would allow the European Union to become a full party to the Convention. To this end, Poland proposed an amendment to the Convention to allow for the participation of regional economic integration organisations and the accession of the European Union as a party to the Convention. Poland notified the Convention's depositary of the proposed amendment to the Convention in October 2016. The depositary sent the amendment to the Contracting Parties in 2017.

Poland should therefore be authorised to ratify the amendment to the Convention.

CONTENT: the Commission proposes that the Council decide to authorise Poland to ratify, in the interest of the European Union, the amendment to Article XVI.4 of the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Pollock Resources in the Central Bering Sea to allow for the accession of regional economic integration organisations to the Convention.

The objectives of the Convention are to:

- establish an international regime for the conservation, management and optimum utilisation of pollock resources in the Convention area;

- restore and maintain pollock resources in the Bering Sea at levels that will provide for their maximum sustainable yield;

- cooperate in the gathering and analysis of factual information concerning pollock and other living marine resources in the Bering Sea; and

- provide, if the Parties agree, a forum in which to consider the development of conservation and management measures for marine living resources other than pollock in the Convention Area, as may be necessary in the future.

The EU's participation in the Convention has a limited impact, as membership is not conditional on the payment of a budgetary contribution and it is expected that the moratorium will continue to apply in the near future.

However, should the area be re-opened to fishing, the EU’s role would be to promote the principles and standards of the Common Fisheries Policy in this international organisation, in particular the adoption of management measures based on best science.