16/02/2022 (Agence Europe) – On Tuesday 15 February, the European Parliament approved (675 votes in favour, 4 against and 16 abstentions), the draft decision of the EU Council on the accession of the European Union to the Convention on the Conservation and Management of High Seas Fisheries Resources in the North Pacific Ocean. The agreement was signed on 24 February 2012 and entered into force on 19 July 2015. This will make the European Union the ninth full member of the Convention, joining the current eight full members, namely Canada, China, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Russia, Taiwan, the United States and Vanuatu. The EU Council could only adopt the act after receiving a favourable opinion from the European Parliament. (LC)