EU/Mauritius Fisheries Partnership Agreement (6 years). Protocol: fishing opportunities and financial contribution 2014-2017

The Committee on Fisheries unanimously adopted the report by Antolín SÁNCHEZ PRESEDO (S&D, ES) on the draft Council decision on the conclusion of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement and of the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and the financial contribution provided for by the Agreement.

The committee recommends that the European Parliament gives its consent to the conclusion of the agreement and the protocol, considering that the result of the negotiations was balanced and served the interests of the two parties.

In the interests of transparency, however, Members call on the Commission to:

• forward to Parliament the minutes and the conclusions of the meetings of the Joint Committee provided for in the Agreement, as well as the multiannual sectoral programme provided for in the Protocol and the corresponding annual evaluations;
• facilitate the participation of representatives of Parliament as observers in the meetings of the Joint Committee and to submit to Parliament and to the Council, within the last year of application of the Protocol and before the opening of negotiations for its renewal, a full evaluation report on its implementation, without imposing unnecessary restrictions on access to this document.

Lastly, Members call on the Commission and the Council, acting within the context of their respective powers, to keep Parliament immediately and fully informed at all stages of the procedures related to the new Protocol and its renewal, pursuant to the relevant articles of the Treaties.