Brussels, 12/05/2011 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 12 May, the European Parliament welcomed the European Commission proposal to open negotiations on the renewal of the protocol between the EU and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, while underlining that it should be maintained “only if it is mutually beneficial, adjusted appropriately and implemented correctly”.
In adopting a joint resolution from the EPP, S&D, Greens/EFA, ALDE and GUE/NGL groups, the EP also hailed the Commission's proposal to include a human rights clause in the agreement. Parliament insisted that any access for EU vessels to fish in Mauritanian waters must relate to “those resources which are unable to be caught by the Mauritanian fleet”. MEPs expressed concern that the ex-post evaluation concluded that most stocks in Mauritania were either fully exploited or over-exploited. They also said they were concerned about procedures for the boarding of EU vessels by the Mauritanian authorities.
The EP believes it necessary to carry out “a comprehensive and detailed evaluation of the reasons for the inadequate achievement of the objectives regarding development cooperation and the various lines of support for the fisheries sector in Mauritania”. It calls for “greater efforts” from the Commission and member states to achieve better coordination of their financial contributions, so as to arrive at real cooperation in the context of Mauritania's development and “avoid uncoordinated duplication”.
MEPs advocated EU support for the fastest possible construction of adequate facilities for landing fish along Mauritania's central and southern coastlines, including - but not limited to - Nouakchott, “so that fish caught in Mauritanian waters can be landed at national ports rather than outside the country”. This will increase local fish consumption and support local employment. The EP took the view that these improvements, combined with the removal of wrecks and the modernisation of the major port of Nouadhibou, would enable the EU fleet to operate more effectively, facilitate investment flows and boost the impact of the fisheries agreement on the local economy.
The current protocol to the Fisheries Partnership Agreement with the Islamic Republic of Mauritania expires on 31 July 2012. The Commission intends to launch negotiations regarding its renewal, for which it has received a prescriptive mandate from the Council. (L.C./transl.rt)