Proposal for a Council Decision on the signing, on behalf of the European Union, and the provisional application of the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in 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 hand

On the basis of relevant Council mandate, the Commission on behalf of the European Union negotiated with the Government of Denmark and Government of Greenland in view of renewing the Protocol to the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Government of Denmark and the Government of Greenland. Following these negotiations, a new Protocol was initialled on 3 February 2012, which covers a period of three years starting from 1 January 2013.

This procedure concerning the signing on behalf of the EU and provisional application of the new Protocol is launched in parallel with the procedures regarding the Council Decision, with the consent of the European Parliament, on the conclusion of the new Protocol, and the Council Regulation concerning the allocation of the fishing opportunities among the Member States under the said Protocol.

The Commission's negotiating position was based i.a. on the results of an ex-post evaluation study of the previous Protocol that was carried out by external experts in September 2011.

The new Protocol is in line with the objectives of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement aiming at strengthening the cooperation between the European Union and Greenland and promoting a partnership framework in which to develop a sustainable fisheries policy and responsible exploitation of fishery resources in the Greenlandic EEZ in the interests of both Parties.

The two Parties have agreed to cooperate with a view to implementing Greenlandic sectoral fisheries policy and to that end shall continue the policy dialogue on the relevant programming.

The new Protocol provides for a total financial contribution of EUR 17.847.244 per year for the whole period. This amount corresponds to: a) EUR 15.104.203 per year for the access to the Greenlandic EEZ, and b) EUR 2.743.041 per year, corresponding to the additional envelop paid by the EU to support of Greenland fisheries policy.

The Commission proposes, on this basis, that the Council adopts this Decision.

• Primary Source

EUR-Lex: COM(2012)248: Follow the progress of this document through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2012:248:FIN

ESO: Background information: Proposal for a Council Decision on the conclusion of the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in 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 hand http://www.europeansources.info/record/proposal-for-a-council-decision-on-the-conclusion-of-the-protocol-setting-out-the-fishing-opportunities-and-financial-contribution-provided-for-in-the-fisheries-partnership-agreement-between-the-europ/

ESO: Background information: Proposal for a Council Regulation on the allocation of fishing opportunities under the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in 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 hand http://www.europeansources.info/record/proposal-for-a-council-regulation-on-the-allocation-of-fishing-opportunities-under-the-protocol-setting-out-the-fishing-opportunities-and-financial-contribution-provided-for-in-the-fisheries-partnersh/

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