EC/Sao Tomé e Principe fisheries agreement: protocol for the period from 1st June 1999 to 31 May 2002

The committee adopted the report (consultation procedure) by Daniel VARELA SUANZES-CARPEGNA (EPP/ED, E) approving the Commission proposal on the Protocol relating to the EC/São Tomé e Príncipe fishing agreement. The committee felt that the new fisheries protocol offered advantages for both the contracting parties, ensuring the smooth passage of European vessels in sea areas adjacent to those belonging to countries with which the EU had already signed fisheries agreements and contributing to the development of an important sector in the economy of a small country which was nevertheless seeking to diversify. The committee also welcomed the statement in the annex to the protocol concerning ICCAT standards on tuna fishing, which thereby underlined the EU's commitment as regards respect for international fishing standards. The report pointed out that Parliament was not in a position to assess whether the Commission had succeeded in imposing its requirements with regard to the use of financial compensation, as that information had not been provided. However, as the Commission had provided the information necessary to gain an impression of the use of the previous protocol as regards the actual use of fishing opportunities and the commercial aspects of fishing off São Tomé e Príncipe, the committee had been able to make a comparative study and took the view that it could endorse the new protocol.