Council Decision (EU) 2015/1565 of 14 September 2015 on the approval, on behalf of the European Union, of the Declaration on the granting of fishing opportunities in EU waters to fishing vessels flying the flag of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in the exclusive economic zone off the coast of French Guiana

What it is

to approve, on behalf of the European Union, the Declaration on the granting of fishing opportunities in EU waters to fishing vessels flying the flag of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in the exclusive economic zone off the coast of French Guiana. ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act. BACKGROUND: Council Regulation (EC) No 1006/2008 concerning authorisations for fishing activities presupposes the existence of an international fisheries agreement when granting fishing authorisations to third-country vessels within EU waters. The EU has not concluded such an international fisheries agreement with Venezuela. However, access for Venezuelan fishing vessels operating in EU waters off the coast of the French department of Guiana has been provided in the form of a Council Declaration ( Decision 2012/19/EU ) which, in accordance with the case-law of the International Court of Justice, has legal effects under international law. BACKGROUND: subject to their compliance with the applicable legally binding Union acts on the conservation and management of fishery resources, fishing vessels flying the flag of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela have operated in Union waters in the exclusive economic zone off the coast of French Guiana for many decades. The processing industry based in the French Guiana depends on the landings from those fishing vessels and therefore the continuity of those operations should be ensured. This Decision should replace Council Decision 2012/19/EU which was annulled by the judgement of the Court of Justice of 26 November 2014 and the effects of which are being maintained until the entry into force of a new decision within a reasonable period of time. As the Declaration has already been notified to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, there is no need for a new notification thereof. CONTENT: under this proposed Decision, the Council is requested to approve the Declaration addressed to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on the granting of fishing opportunities in EU waters to fishing vessels flying the flag of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela in the exclusive economic zone off the coast of the French Guiana on behalf of the European Union. Declaration : in the Declaration addressed to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, it is stipulated that: the EU shall issue fishing authorisations to a limited number of fishing vessels flying the flag of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela to fish in the part of the exclusive economic zone off the coast of French Guiana that lies more than 12 nautical miles from the base lines; the authorised fishing vessels flying the flag of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela shall comply with the provisions of the European Union common fisheries policy concerning the conservation and control measures and other European Union provisions governing fishing activities in that zone; the authorised fishing vessels flying the flag of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela shall comply with any relevant European Union rules or regulations specifying, inter alia, the fish stocks that may be targeted, the maximum number…

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