EU/Cook Islands Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement and implementation Protocol

PURPOSE: to conclude a Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Government of the Cook Islands and the Implementation Protocol thereto.

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: the Union and the Government of the Cook Islands negotiated a Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement for a duration of five years, renewable by tacit agreement, and an Implementation Protocol thereto, granting Union vessels fishing opportunities in the waters over which the Cook Islands has sovereign rights or jurisdiction in respect to fisheries.

The Agreement and the Protocol were signed in accordance with a Council Decision and apply on a provisional basis from the date of the signature of the Agreement and the Protocol.

It is now necessary to approve the Agreement on behalf of the European Union.

CONTENT: the Council is called upon to adopt a decision on the conclusion of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Government of the Cook Islands and the Implementation Protocol thereto.

The new Agreement will provide for a framework taking into account the priorities of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy and its external dimension, with a view to establishing a strategic partnership between the European Union and the Cook Islands. It establishes the principles, rules and procedures on the subject.

The main objective of the new Protocol is to provide fishing opportunities to Union vessels in the Cook Islands fishing zone and to promote a sustainable fisheries policy and sound exploitation of fisheries resources in the Cook Islands’ fishing zone.

Joint committee: the Agreement sets up a Joint Committee which is responsible for monitoring the performance, interpretation and application of the Agreement. It may also approve certain modifications to the Protocol. In this respect, the Commission shall be empowered to approve these modifications under a simplified procedure.

For further details on the other main points of the proposal, please refer to the summary of the initial Commission proposal from 22.3.2016 in this procedure file.