European Parliament (EP) has voted to give its final consent to the new Protocol to the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the EU and Mauritania, an arrangement considered crucial for the European fleet and the North African country.
Under the new four-year-deal, 98 EU vessels from 11 member states will be allowed to fish for shrimp, demersal fish, tuna and small pelagics in Mauritania’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). In return, the EU will pay Mauritania a financial contribution in excess of EUR 59.1 billion (USD 66.7 billion) per year, EUR 4.1 billion (USD 4.6 billion) of which will go to support the country’s fisheries sector
“This is the EU's biggest sustainable fisheries partnership agreement in financial terms. It is a significant improvement compared to the previous protocol and can be considered an example to be followed for the negotiation of future agreements with other countries,” said Karmenu Vella, EU Commissioner for Environment, Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.
“The new protocol is fully consistent with the external dimension of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy: it respects the principle of sustainability and confirms the principles of transparency, preferential access for the EU fleet and non-discrimination between foreign fleets. It ensures good returns on EU taxpayers' money and gives the EU fleet stability and predictability with improved technical conditions. The focus now is on ensuring the smooth implementation of the new protocol.”
