EU/Cape Verde Fisheries Partnership Agreement: fishing opportunities and financial contribution from 23 December 2014 to 22 December 2018. Protocol

PURPOSE: to conclude a Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and the financial contribution provided for in the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Cape Verde.

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 Council authorised the European Commission to negotiate, on behalf of the European Union, the renewal of the Protocol to the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and Cape Verde.

At the end of the negotiations a new draft protocol was initialled by the negotiators on 28 August 2014.

It is now appropriate to conclude the protocol on behalf of the European Union.

CONTENT: the new Fisheries Partnership Agreement lays down the following elements:

Main objectives of the Protocol: the main purpose of the Protocol to the Agreement is to grant fishing opportunities to Union vessels in the fishing zone of Cape Verde, in accordance with the best scientific opinions available and the recommendations of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), where applicable within the limits of the available surplus.

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

Fishing opportunities: the Protocol provides for fishing opportunities in the following categories:

• 28 tuna seiners
• 30 surface longliners
• 13 pole-and-line tuna vessels.

Financial contribution: the annual financial contribution to implement the Agreement shall be set as follows:

- the annual financial contribution as regards access to fishing zones:

• EUR 550 000 the first two years;
• EUR 500 000 the last two years, which is based on a reference tonnage of 5 000 tonnes, for which an amount linked to access has been set at EUR 275 000 the first two years and EUR 250 000 the last two years,

- support for development of the sectoral fisheries policy of the Republic of Cape Verde, amounting to:

• EUR 275 000 per year the first two years;
• EUR 250 000 per year the last two years.

This support meets the objectives of the national fisheries policy and in particular the needs of the Republic of Cape Verde in its fight against illegal fishing.

Duration of the Agreement: the new Protocol covers a period of four years from the date on which it is signed.

BUDGETARY IMPLICATIONS: the financial statement annexed to the draft Agreement foresees an overall envelope of EUR 2 732 million in commitment and payment appropriations from 2015 to 2018 (including administrative expenditure for the management of the Agreement).