Brussels, 26/06/2008 (Agence Europe) - The Fisheries ministers of Spain, Lithuania and the Netherlands indicated, in Luxembourg on Tuesday 24 June, that they could not accept the draft of the new fisheries protocol between the EU and Mauritania, which is due to be adopted very shortly so that it can come into effect on 1 August 2008 (see EUROPE 9684).
According to Spanish diplomatic sources, Spain is calling for an increase in some fishing possibilities. It does not agree with the allocation formula for cephalopods (such as octopus, squid and cuttlefish). The draft of the new protocol grants 24 licences for fishing cephalopods to Spain, which asked for 29, under the “relative stability” principle (each country's past record of fisheries). Spanish Agriculture and Fisheries Minister Elena Espinosa said that she opposed the new protocol and indicated that she could refer the EU-Mauritania agreement to the courts (European Court of Justice). The Commission has let it be known that it has no intention of reviewing the EU-Mauritania protocol's formula for allocating fishing rights, though Fisheries Commissioner Joe Borg has asked for the figures to be checked.
The Lithuanian fisheries minister protested that his country's vessels would lose almost 50% of their fishing possibilities (small pelagics) in Mauritanian waters. The Netherlands was also critical of the proposed new allocation formula. Despite these difficulties, the EP is expected to approve the EU-Mauritania agreement in the plenary session on 7-10 July. The Council will agree its position at its next meeting, on 15 July. (L.C./transl.rt)