Brussels, 15/09/2000 (Agence Europe) - The new EU-Greenland fisheries agreement was concluded in Copenhagen on Thursday. It provides for an annual contribution by the EU of 42.82 million euro, from 2001 to 2006. Taking account of inflation, the Community contribution therefore remains the same as for the third fisheries protocol (1995-2000), by which Greenland received 37.7 million euro a year. Negotiations involved a dual stake for the Commission: set in th agreement levels of catches corresponding to actual possibilities, and separating fishing rights from aid to development. The Commission assures us that the first objective has been met. It did not, however, manage to get Greenland to discern between the two types of aid. The Commission had to resolve itself to establishing this distinction unilaterally, adding a declaration to the minutes of the meeting by which it regrets this refusal and considers that, of the 42.82 million euro, 28 million correspond to fishing rights. The two parties did, nevertheless, agree to review the agreement in 2003, revision intended precisely to review the modalities for aid to development.
The agreement has to be adopted by the Council. It should take effect on 1 January.