Council Decision (EU) 2022/1449 of 18 July 2022 on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Protocol on the implementation of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Government of the Cook Islands

What it is

to conclude, on behalf of the European Union, the Protocol (2021-2024) on the implementation of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Government of the Cook Islands. ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: Council may adopt the act only if Parliament has given its consent to the act. BACKGROUND: the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA) between the European Union and the Cook Islands Government was signed on 3 May 2016 and 14 May 2016 respectively and entered into provisional application on 14 May 2016 for a period of eight years. The agreement is renewable by tacit agreement and is still in force. The first 4-year protocol on the implementation of the SFPA entered into provisional application on 14 October 2016 and expired on 13 October 2020. Both the agreement and the protocol entered into force on 10 May 2017. PURPOSE: to conclude, on behalf of the European Union, the Protocol on the implementation of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Government of the Cook Islands. BACKGROUND: the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Government of the Cook Islands was concluded by Council Decision (EU) 2017/418. The Protocol implementing the Partnership Agreement has been signed, subject to its conclusion at a later date. The protocol should now be approved. CONTENT: the draft Council decision concerns the approval, on behalf of the Union, of the Protocol on the implementation of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Government of the Cook Islands . The Protocol aims to enable the Union and the Government of the Cook Islands to continue working together to promote a sustainable fisheries policy and the sound exploitation of fisheries resources in the Cook Islands’ fishery waters, in line with the objective of conservation of marine biological resources recognised in Union law, and to allow Union vessels to fish in those waters. The Agreement sets up a Joint Committee responsible for the monitoring of the application of the Agreement and its Implementing Protocol. The Joint Committee may approve certain amendments to the Protocol. In order to facilitate the approval of such amendments, the Commission may, subject to specific substantive and procedural provisions and conditions, approve these amendments on behalf of the Union under a simplified procedure. The Council should determine the Union's position on the proposed amendments to the Protocol. The proposed amendments should be approved unless a blocking minority of Member States objects to the amendments. In view of the economic importance of the Union's fishing activities in the Cook Islands fishing areas and in view of the need to avoid interrupting those activities upon the expiration of the current Protocol on 13 November 2021, it is important that the Protocol enters into force as soon as possible. The European Parliament adopted by 477 votes to 37, with 117 abstentions, a legislative resolution on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Protocol on the…

Frequently asked

In scope for these industries