Proposal for a Council Decision on the conclusion of the Protocol agreed between the European Union and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau setting out fishing opportunities and the financial contribution provided for in the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the two parties currently in force

On the basis of a mandate from the Council, the European Commission has conducted negotiations with the Republic of Guinea-Bissau with a view to renewing the Protocol to the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau. At the end of those negotiations, a new Protocol was initialled on 10 February 2012. The new protocol covers a period of three years from the date of its signature.

The main aim of the Protocol to the Agreement is to provide fishing opportunities for the vessels of the European Union in the waters of Guinea-Bissau within the limits of the available surplus. The Commission’s negotiating position was based in part on the results of an ex-post evaluation carried out by external experts and on the opinion of the Scientific Committee established under the Agreement.

The general aim is to enhance the cooperation between the European Union and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau, thereby creating a partners hip framework within which to develop a sustainable fisheries policy and sound exploitation of fishery resources in the Guinea-Bissau fishing zone, in the interests of both Parties.

More particularly, the Protocol provides for fishing opportunities in the following categories:
– 3 700 GRT for shrimp freezer trawlers
– 3 500 GRT for fin-fish/cephalopod freezer trawlers
– 28 tuna seiners / surface longliners
– 12 pole-and-line tuna vessels.

The Commission proposes, on this basis, that the Council, with the consent of the Parliament, adopt this new Protocol by Decision.

• Primary Source

EUR-Lex: COM(2012)260: Follow the progress of this document through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2012:260:FIN

ESO: Background information: Proposal for a Council Decision on the signature, on behalf of the European Union, and the provisional application of the Protocol agreed between the European Union and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau setting out fishing opportunities and the financial contribution provided for in the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the two parties currently in force http://www.europeansources.info/record/proposal-for-a-council-decision-on-the-signature-on-behalf-of-the-european-union-and-the-provisional-application-of-the-protocol-agreed-between-the-european-union-and-the-republic-of-guinea-bissau-s-2/

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