EC/Mauritania Fisheries Partnership Agreement: fishing opportunities and financial contribution. Extension of the Protocol

The European Parliament adopted by 575 votes to 58, with 57 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on the conclusion 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.

Following the recommendation of the Committee on Fisheries, the European Parliament gave its approval to the conclusion of the Agreement.

On 8 July 2019 the Council adopted the mandate authorising the European Commission to open negotiations for the renewal of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the EU and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania (IRM) and the protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Partnership Agreement, which expires on 15 November 2019.

In view of the complexity of the negotiations, the two parties have agreed to extend the current Protocol for a maximum period of one year. They established this extension by an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters, which they initialled on 4 September 2019 in Brussels.

The Protocol sets out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and Mauritania, which expires on 15 November 2019.

The Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters will enable the European Union and Mauritania to continue working together to promote a sustainable fisheries policy and sound exploitation of fisheries resources in Mauritanian waters and to enable EU vessels to pursue their fishing activities in those waters.