The Committee on Fisheries adopted the report drafted by Mr. Joop POST (EPP-ED, NL) amending, in the context of the consultation procedure, the proposal for a Council regulation on the conclusion of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community on the one hand, and the Government of Denmark and the Home Rule Government of Greenland, on the other.
The Committee adopted the following amendments:
- in order to evaluate whether the compensation paid by the EU is properly accounted for and does, in fact, promote the sustainable use of fishery resources in Greenland, the Commission should report annually to the Parliament;
- the Commission shall evaluate each year whether Member States whose vessels operate under the Protocol have complied with reporting requirements. Where they have not done so, the Commission shall refuse their requests for fishing licences for the following year;
- Prior to the expiry of the Protocol and before the beginning of negotiations for a possible renewal, the Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and the Council an ex post evaluation of the Protocol, including a cost-benefit analysis.
The Committee also added two new recitals in order to better clarify the following points :
- if fishing opportunities are established by the Joint Committee at a lower level than that set out in Chapter I of the Annex, Greenland should compensate the Community in subsequent years by corresponding fishing opportunities or in the same year by other fishing opportunities, or by deducting a corresponding proportion of the agreed payment;
- the Community should reserve the right to adjust quotas where, after 2010, they are found not to be in line with EU policy on sustainability.