Brussels, 18/12/2001 (Agence Europe) - Last Thursday in Strasbourg, the European Parliament adopted by 90 votes to 6 and 5 abstentions the report by Pat the Cope Gallagher (UEN, Ireland) approving the European Commission's proposal on the new fisheries protocol between the Community and Mauritania, which concerns, Spain, Italy, France and Portugal. The EP only calls on the Commission to take into account requests for licenses from any other Member States, if they do not exhaust the fishing possibilities fixed by the protocol. We would point out that the Fisheries Council reached a political agreement at the end of November on this issue (see EUROPE of 28 November, p.8). The new protocol, which covers the period 2001-2006, mainly provides for a 30% increase in the number of cephalopod vessels (42 to 55, compared to the earlier protocol) and a 17% increase in the number of tuna vessels (57 to 67), as well as a reduction, from 22 to 15, of the number of vessels authorised to catch pelagic species. The Community's financial contribution amounts to EUR 430 million over the whole of the period, that is, +61% compared to the budget fixed during the previous protocol (1996-2001).