COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2021/793

of 26 March 2021

on the signing, on behalf of the European Union, and provisional application of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union, of the one part, and the Government of Greenland and the Government of Denmark, of the other part, and the implementing Protocol thereto

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 43 in conjunction with Article 218(5) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Whereas:

(1) On 9 December 2019 the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations with the Government of Greenland and the Government of Denmark with a view to concluding a new sustainable fisheries partnership agreement and a new implementing protocol thereto.

(2) The negotiations were successfully concluded with the initialling of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union, of the one part, and the Government of Greenland and the Government of Denmark, of the other part (‘the Partnership Agreement’) and the Protocol implementing the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union, of the one part, and the Government of Greenland and the Government of Denmark, of the other part (‘the Protocol’) on 11 January 2021.

(3) The Partnership Agreement repeals the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community on the one hand, and the Government of Denmark and the Home Rule Government of Greenland, on the other hand (1), which entered into force on 28 June 2007.

(4) The objective of the Partnership Agreement and the Protocol is to enable the Union, the Government of Denmark and the Government of Greenland to work together more closely in order to further promote the development of a sustainable fisheries policy and the responsible exploitation of fisheries resources in Greenlandic waters.

(5) In order to ensure an expeditious start to the fishing activities of Union vessels, and in accordance with Article 15 of the Partnership Agreement and Article 12 of the Protocol, the Partnership Agreement and the Protocol should be applied on a provisional basis as from the date of their signature.

(6) Therefore, the Partnership Agreement and the Protocol should be signed and applied on a provisional basis, pending the completion of the procedures necessary for their entry into force,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1 The signature on behalf of the Union of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union, of the one part, and the Government of Greenland and the Government of Denmark, of the other part (‘the Partnership Agreement’) and the Protocol implementing the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union, of the one part, and the Government of Greenland and the Government of Denmark, of the other part (‘the Protocol’) is hereby authorised, subject to the conclusion of those acts (2).

Article 2 The President of the Council is hereby authorised to designate the person(s) empowered to sign the Partnership Agreement and the Protocol on behalf of the Union.

Article 3 The Partnership Agreement shall be applied on a provisional basis, in accordance with Article 15 thereof, as from the date of its signature (3), pending the completion of the procedures necessary for its entry into force.

Article 4 The Protocol shall be applied on a provisional basis, in accordance with Article 12 thereof, as from the date of its signature (3), pending the completion of the procedures necessary for its entry into force.

Article 5 This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.

Done at Brussels, 26 March 2021. For the Council The President A. P. ZACARIAS

(1) OJ L 172, 30.6.2007, p. 4.

(2) See page 3 of this Official Journal.

(3) The date from which the Partnership Agreement and the Protocol will be provisionally applied will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union by the General Secretariat of the Council.