EC/Guinea fisheries agreement: protocol for the period from 1st January 2000 to 31 December 2001

PURPOSE : to approve a new fishing Protocol between the Community and Guinea laying down the technical and financial conditions of fishing vessel activities off the Guinean coast for the period 01/01/2000 to 31/12/2001. COMMUNITY MEASURE : Council Regulation 445/2001/EC on the conclusion of the protovol setting out the fishing rights and financial contribution provided for in the Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Government of the Republic of Guinea on fishing off the Guinean coast for the period 01/01/2000 to 31/12/2001. CONTENT : this Protocol supplies fishing licences for 38 tuna seiners, 14 pole-and-line tuna vessels and 16 surface long-liners and for an equivalent of 2 500 GRT/month on an annual basis for fin-fish/cephalopods and 1 500 GRT/month for shrimps. If need be, and the case where the fishing resources allow it, the Joint Agreement Committee shall authorise the introduction of new fishing categories. The Regulation stipulates that financial compensation of EUR 1 600 000 per year shall be provided. If the catches exceed the this quota, the Community shall increase its financial compensation proportionally. With regard to the financial compensation, the Community shall participate in the financing of various measures in the field of fishing for a total amount of EUR 1 360 000 per year. These measures include scientific and technical programmes to improve knowledge of fishery and biological resources in Guinea's fishing zone, support for fisheries surveillance bodies, aid for non-industrial fishing and institutional aid for the Fisheries Ministry. With regard to the financial compensation, the government of Guinea has full discretion regarding the use to which financial compensation is put. In addition, Guinea undertakes to implement a plan to reduce its overall fishing effort. The Community undertakes to pay a financial contribution to the costs incurred in the management and monitoring required to implement that reduction, not exceeding EUR 370 000 per year, provided that the conditions agreed are jointly met. Lastly, the Regulation states that the fishing rights shall be allocated among the following Member States : France, Spain, Greece, Portugal and Italy. If licence applications from those Member States do not exhaust the fishing rights set out in the Protocol, the Commission may consider licence applications from any other Member State. ENTRY INTO FORCE : The regulation shall enter into force on 9 March 2001. The Protocol shall enter into force as soon as all the parties have been notified of the necessary procedures to this effect.�