EU/Seychelles Agreement: access for fishing vessels flying the flag of the Seychelles to waters and marine biological resources of Mayotte, under the jurisdiction of the EU

PURPOSE: to conclude the Agreement between the European Union and the Seychelles on access for fishing vessels flying the flag of the Seychelles to waters and marine biological resources of Mayotte, under the jurisdiction of the European Union.

PROPOSED ACT: Council Decision.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act.

BACKGROUND: on 11 July 2012, the European Council adopted Decision 2012/419/EU1 amending, with effect from 1 January 2014, the status of Mayotte with regard to the European Union. From that date, Mayotte ceased to be an overseas country or territory and became an outermost region of the Union within the meaning of Article 349 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU).

The Council authorised the Commission to negotiate, on behalf of the Union, an agreement with the Seychelles relating to the access, for fishing vessels flying the flag of Seychelles, to waters and marine biological resources of the Union in the exclusive economic zone off the coast of Mayotte.

The Agreement between the European Union and the Seychelles on access for fishing vessels flying the flag of the Seychelles to waters and marine biological resources of Mayotte, under the jurisdiction of the European Union was signed in accordance with a Council Decision and is provisionally applied.

In order for the authorities in Mayotte to implement the rules of the common fisheries policy (CFP) from the date on which Mayotte becomes an outermost region, it is necessary to set up the appropriate administrative framework, control activities and physical infrastructure, and to provide the appropriate capacity building.

The Agreement should be approved on behalf of the EU.

CONTENT : the proposal calls on the council to approve, on behalf of the EU, an Agreement with the Seychelles on access for fishing vessels flying the flag of the Seychelles to waters and marine biological resources of Mayotte, under the jurisdiction of the European Union.

For the contents of the Agreement, please refer to the summary of the Commission’s initial legislative proposal dated 10/03/2014.

Simplified procedure: the Agreement established a Joint Committee responsible for monitoring its application. The Joint Committee may approve certain modifications to the Agreement. In order to facilitate the approval of such modifications, the Commission is empowered, subject to specific conditions, to approve them under a simplified procedure.

The modifications relate to the following issues:

• reassessment and adjustment of fishing opportunities in accordance with the Agreement;
• revision of the technical provisions of the Agreement and the Annex, including a review of the technical rules on VMS in accordance with the Annex to the Agreement.