Decision 2022/1448 - Conclusion of the Sustainable fisheries agreement with Mauritania and the Implementing Protocol thereto - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 228/2

In accordance with Council Decision (EU) 2021/2123 of (2), the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania (the ‘Partnership Agreement’) and the Implementing Protocol thereto (the ‘Protocol’) were signed on 15 November 2021.

The objectives of the Partnership Agreement and of the Protocol are to enable Union vessels to carry out their fishing activities in Mauritanian waters and to enable the Union and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania (‘Mauritania’) to work closely together to further promote the development of sustainable fisheries policy and the responsible exploitation of fishery resources in the Mauritanian fishing zone and in the Atlantic Ocean, in line with the objective of conservation of marine biological resources recognised in Union law. This cooperation also helps to establish decent working conditions in the fisheries sector.

The Partnership Agreement and the Protocol should be approved.

Article 14 of the Partnership Agreement establishes a Joint Committee responsible for monitoring the implementation of the Partnership Agreement and the Protocol. Furthermore, the Joint Committee may approve certain amendments to the Protocol pursuant to Article 11(1) thereof. In order to facilitate the approval of such amendments, the Commission should be authorised, subject to specific substantive and procedural conditions, to approve them on behalf of the Union under a simplified procedure.

The Union’s position on the proposed amendments to the Protocol should be established by the Council. The proposed amendments should be approved unless a blocking minority of Member States objects to them in accordance with Article 16(4) of the Treaty on European Union.

The Partnership Agreement and the Protocol should enter into force as soon as possible in view of the economic importance of Union fishing activities in the Mauritanian fishing zone and the need to avoid or reduce as much as possible the duration of any interruption of those activities,

The Commission shall ensure that the approval on behalf of the Union:

Before approving the proposed amendments on behalf of the Union, the Commission shall submit them to the Council in sufficient time before the relevant Joint Committee meeting.

The Council shall assess whether the proposed amendments comply with the criteria laid down in point 1.

Unless a number of Member States equivalent to a blocking minority of the Council, in accordance with Article 16(4) of the Treaty on European Union, object to the proposed amendments, the Commission shall approve them on behalf of the Union. If there is such a blocking minority, the Commission shall reject the proposed amendments on behalf of the Union.

If, in the course of subsequent meetings of the Joint Committee, including on the spot, it is impossible to reach an agreement, the matter shall be referred back to the Council, in accordance with the procedure set out in points 2 to 4, in order for the Union position to take account of new factors.

The Commission is invited to take, in due time, any steps necessary to follow up on the decision of the Joint Committee, including, where appropriate, publishing the relevant decision in the Official Journal of the European Union and submitting any proposal necessary for the implementation of that decision.