EC/Ivory Coast fisheries agreement: protocol for the period from 1 July 2003 to 30 June 2004

PURPOSE : to conclude an Agreement extending the validity of the Protocol setting fishing opportunities and a financial contribution as provided for in the Agreement between the EC and the Cote d'Ivoire on fishing off the Cote d'Ivoire. PROPOSED ACT : Council Regulation. CONTENT : the Protocol annexed to the Fishery Agreement between the EC and the Cote d'Ivoire expired on 30 June 2003. Given the current situation in Cote d'Ivoire, the two parties decided to extend its validity for a year, i.e. for the period 1 July 2003 to 30 June 2004. This extension, in the form of an exchange of letters, was initialled by the parties on 16 May 2003 in order to set the technical and financial terms of fishing by EC vessels in the waters off Cote d'Ivoire between 1 July 2003 and 30 June 2004. The extension will also have the advantage of giving the Cote d'Ivoire authorities enough time to use the money and to draw up the reports on implementation of the programme in support of sustainable fishery resource management (targeted measures), work of which has fallen behind. The Commission accordingly proposes that the Council adopt the attached Agreement in the form of an exchange of letters extending the period of validity of the Protocol. A proposal for a Council Decision on provisional application of the Agreement (pending its actual entry into force) is the subject of a separate procedure. The fishing opportunities set out in the Protocol are allocated to Member States as follows: 1) demersal fishing: Spain: 600 GRT per month (annual average). 2) tuna fishing: tuna seiners - France: 18 vessels; - Spain: 21 vessels. 3) surface longliners: - Spain: 15 vessels; - Portugal: 5 vessels. 4) pole-and-line tuna vessels: - France: 7 vessels; - Spain: 5 vessels. If licence applications from these Member States do not exhaust the fishing opportunities set by the Protocol, the Commission may consider licence applications from any other Member State. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS : - budget lines - B78000: International fishery agreements; - total allocation for action: EUR 957 000 in payment appropriations; - the reference tonnage is 8 500 t. The Agreement is clearly advantageous in that the catch value far exceeds the cost of the Protocol. The average commercial value of the tuna is more than EUR 1000.�