On Tuesday 1 October, the European Commission adopted three proposals to extend by one year the Protocol to the Fisheries Agreement between the EU and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, which is due to expire on 16 November 2019 (see EUROPE 12320/11).
Last July, the EU Council gave the Commission a mandate to negotiate a new fisheries agreement between the EU and Mauritania (see EUROPE 12291/28).
Pending the finalisation of these negotiations, the Commission has reached an agreement in the form of an exchange of letters extending the Protocol with Mauritania for one year to allow Union vessels to carry out their fishing activities in these waters.
The Protocol retains the current fishing opportunities for EU vessels (spiny lobster and crab, Black hake, tuna vessels, pelagic vessels...).
The annual financial contribution has been set at €61 625 000 for a maximum period of one year for the purposes of the extension, on the basis of: a) a total allowable catch of 259 550 tonnes for fishing categories 1, 2, 2a, 3, 6 and 7 and a reference tonnage of 20 000 tonnes for fishing categories 4 and 5 of the Protocol, corresponding to an amount linked to access to €57 500 000 per year; b) support for the development of the sectoral fisheries policy of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania amounting to €4 125 000 per year
Link to the proposal: http://bit.ly/2ozkHss (Lionel Changeur)