EU/São Tomé and Príncipe Fisheries Partnership Agreement: fishing opportunities and financial contribution from 13 May 2011 to 12 May 2014. Protocol

PURPOSE: the conclusion of a new Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

BACKGROUND: the Union therefore negotiated a new Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and the financial contribution provided for by the Fisheries Partnership Agreement with the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, providing Union vessels with fishing opportunities in the waters over which the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe has sovereignty or jurisdiction in respect of fisheries.

As a result of those negotiations, the new Protocol was initialled on 15 July 2010. The Protocol was signed and has been applied provisionally.

It is now necessary to conclude the Protocol on behalf of the European Union, after the European Parliament’s consent.

LEGAL BASIS: Article 43 in conjunction with Article 218(6)(a) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

CONTENT: by this Decision, the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and the financial contribution provided for by the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe is hereby approved on behalf of the Union.

The text of the Protocol is attached to the proposal.

For further details of the content of the Protocol, please refer to the summary of the previous initial legislative document dated 13/12/2010.

BUDGETARY IMPLICATION: theoverall financial contribution under the Protocol of EUR 2 047 500 from 2011 to 2013, that is EUR 682.500/year (administrative expenditure excluded).