EC/Guinea-Bissau Fisheries Partnership Agreement (2019-2024). Protocol

PURPOSE: to conclude the Protocol on the implementation of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Guinea Bissau (2019-2024).

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 Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Guinea Bissau entered into force on 15 April 2008. The last Protocol to the Agreement entered into force on 24 November 2014 and expired on 23 November 2017. 

Following the Commission's recommendation, the Council decided on 28 February 2017 to authorise the opening of negotiations with the Republic of Guinea-Bissau with a view to concluding a new protocol implementing the agreement.

The Commission negotiated, on behalf of the Union, a new Protocol. As a result of those negotiations, the new Protocol was initialled on 15 November 2018. The Protocol shall be applied on a provisional basis from the date of its signature. It should now be approved.

CONTENT: the draft Council Decision concerns the approval, on behalf of the Union, of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Guinea Bissau (2019-2024).

The objective of the Protocol is to enable the Union and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau to work more closely on promoting a sustainable fisheries policy, sound exploitation of fishery resources in Guinea-Bissau waters and efforts by Guinea-Bissau to develop a blue economy.

The Agreement establishes the Joint Committee responsible for monitoring its implementation. The Commission may adopt certain amendments to the Protocol. In order to facilitate the approval of these amendments, the Commission should be authorised, subject to specific substantive and procedural conditions, to approve them on behalf of the Union under a simplified procedure.

The Union position on the modifications to the Protocol shall be established by the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Governments of the Member States. The proposed amendments shall be accepted unless a blocking minority of the Member States objects in the Committee of Permanent Representatives of the Governments of the Member States.