Brussels, 27/06/2003 (Agence Europe) - This week the Community Denmark and Greenland have agreed to amend certain provisions in the fourth protocol on conditions for fishing possibilities in Greenland waters for the period 1 January 2001 to 31 December 2006. The proposed changes are supposed to reflect the European Commission strategy presented last December setting out the need to move from fisheries agreements to partnership agreements with third countries in fishing. Last December, the Commission adopted a communication suggesting an overhaul of the fishing agreement with Greenland (EUROPE 6 December 2002).
The different parties have set out the following modifications to the EU/Greenland protocol:
- The amount of compensation for fishing possibilities has been agreed at €31,760,679 while €11,059,321 will be allocated for a budgetary programme to support Greenland implement a structural reform of its fisheries sector. The amount of compensation has therefore not been modified but subdivided into two different parts to take into account the new Commission strategy on partnership agreements with third countries;
- the elimination of 'paper fish' (species for which fishing possibility has not been entirely exploited
- increase in fishing possibility for Greenland and Atlantic halibut, and shrimps
- inclusion of a snow crab quota on the basis of scientific advice
- Experimental fisheries by EU vessels will be authorised for trial periods on deepsea species, cephalopods, clams and capelin in Greenland waters If these prove positive, EU vessels will be granted 50% of the fishing opportunities on the new species until the end of the fourth protocol
- Licence fees for EU vessel owners fishing under this protocol will be introduced
The changes will take effect from 1 January 2004 except for experimental fisheries which can start from 1 July 2003. EU vessels currently operating in Greenland waters come from Germany, Denmark, the UK, Sweden, Spain and Portugal.