Amending the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). Protocol

The European Parliament adopted by 667 votes to 2, with 13 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Protocol to amend the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas.

Following the recommendation of the Committee on Fisheries, the European Parliament gave its consent to the conclusion of the Protocol.

The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) is the body set up by the ICCAT Convention for the conservation and management of species under its competence.

After nearly seven years of negotiations, the ICCAT parties have approved the package of amendments to the ICCAT Convention and thus modernised the text. These amendments bring the convention into line with those of other regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs) around the world. In particular, the amendments will significantly improve ICCAT's ability to manage shark fisheries and modernise ICCAT's working methods and decision-making procedures to strengthen the organisation and ensure that it is more effective and ready to meet current and future challenges.