On Tuesday 16 February, the European Commission adopted two proposals detailing the new agreement between the European Union and the Government of Greenland; one proposal dealt with fishing opportunities and the other covered the financial contribution.
An agreement and a protocol were signed by the negotiators on 11 January 2021 (see EUROPE 12633/11).
The new agreement, which repeals and replaces the existing agreement that has been in force since June 2007, covers the period 2021–2026 from the date of its provisional application. It is renewable by tacit agreement.
The species covered by the new protocol include cod (1,950 tonnes), redfish, Greenland halibut, northern prawn, grenadier, capelin (13,000 tonnes) and mackerel (zero tonnes). Any mackerel quota transferred by Greenland in the future will depend on Greenland signing the Coastal States Sharing Arrangement on the management of mackerel stocks.
The new protocol provides fishing opportunities for 12 vessels from several EU Member States: Denmark, France, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Sweden and, to a lesser degree, Spain and Portugal.
In return, the EU budget will provide an annual financial compensation to Greenland of €16.5 million, of which €2.9 million will be earmarked to support Greenland’s fisheries policies.
To see the details of the agreement: https://bit.ly/3aoMG3O (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)