EC/Ivory Coast fisheries agreement: protocol for the period from 1st July 1997 to 30th June 2000

OBJECTIVE: to provide fishing opportunities open to Community vessels and financial compensation granted in exchange to Ivory Coast, in accordance with the EEC-Ivory Coast fisheries agreement, for the period from 1 July 1997 to 30 June 2000. COMMUNITY MEASURE: Council Regulation (EC) no. 238/98 on the conclusion of the protocol establishing the fishing rights and financial compensation provided for in the Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Republic of Ivory Coast on fishing off the coast of Ivory Coast for the period from 1 July 1997 to 30 June 2000. CONTENTS: The fishing opportunities opened under the protocol chiefly concern Spanish, French and Portuguese fishermen. The Regulation defines the key for allocating fishing possibilities between these three fleets by type of vessel. Provision has been made for licences for: -25 French vessels, -33 Spanish vessels, - 5 Portuguese vessels. If applications for licences from these Member States do not exhaust the fishing possibilities provided for in the Protocol, licence applications from other Member States may be considered. With particular reference to the Protocol, the fishing opportunities provided for are allocated as follows: -licences for freezer trawlers designed to fish demersal species, taking deepwater crustaceans, cephalopods and demersal fish: 3 vessels; -licences for pole-and-line tuna vessels: 7 vessels; -licences for surface longliners: 14 vessels; -licences for tuna seiners: 39 vessels. In exchange, the Ivory Coast is granted total financial compensation of ECU 3 000 000 including: - ECU 2 400 000 in financial compensation, on the understanding that beyond the fishing opportunities provided for, such compensation will be proportionately increased; - ECU 200 000 for the financing of scientific and technical fisheries development programmes in Ivory Coast; - ECU 300 000 for various fisheries-related programmes (fisheries monitoring, support for the fisheries administration and international fisheries organizations); - ECU 100 000 for scholarships and practical training courses for Ivory Coast fishermen. The Annex to the Protocol lays down conditions for the issue of licences and the obligations of Community vessels regarding fishing activities (catch statements and landing, fisheries areas, mesh sizes etc.). ENTRY INTO FORCE: the Regulation will enter into force on 3 February 1998; the Protocol will only enter into force once the parties have notified each other of all the necessary procedures.�