COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2020/272

of 20 February 2020

on the signing, on behalf of the European Union, and provisional application of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Seychelles and its implementing protocol (2020-2026)

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 15 July 2019, the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations with the Republic of Seychelles (‘Seychelles’) with a view to concluding a new Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Seychelles (‘the Partnership Agreement’) and a new implementing protocol thereto (‘the Protocol’).

(2) The negotiations were successfully concluded by the initialling of the Partnership Agreement and the Protocol on 22 October 2019.

(3) The Partnership Agreement repeals the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Seychelles (1), which entered into force on 2 November 2007 for a duration of six years and has been tacitly renewed and is therefore still in force.

(4) The most recent protocol implementing the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Seychelles (2) was signed on 18 December 2013 and was provisionally applied from 18 January 2014. It expired on 17 January 2020.

(5) The objective of the Partnership Agreement and the Protocol is to enable the Union and Seychelles to work more closely together to further promote the development of a sustainable fisheries policy and enable the responsible exploitation of fisheries resources in the Seychelles fishing zone and in the Indian Ocean, while contributing to decent working conditions in the fisheries sector.

(6) The Partnership Agreement and the Protocol should enter into force as soon as possible in view of the economic importance related to Union fishing activities in the Seychelles fishing zone and the need to reduce the interruption of such activities as much as possible.

(7) In order to allow for the continuation of fishing activities by Union vessels, the Partnership Agreement and the Protocol should be applied on a provisional basis as from the signature thereof.

(8) 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 signing on behalf of the Union of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Seychelles (‘the Partnership Agreement’) and the Protocol on the Implementation of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Seychelles (2020‐2026) (‘the Protocol’) is hereby authorised, subject to the conclusion of the said acts (3).

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

Article 3 The Partnership Agreement and the Protocol shall be applied on a provisional basis as from the date of the signature thereof (4), pending the completion of the procedures necessary for their entry into force.

Article 4 This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption.

Done at Brussels, 20 February 2020. For the Council The President B. DIVJAK

(1) OJ L 290, 20.10.2006, p. 2.

(2) Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and the financial contribution provided for by the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Seychelles (OJ L 4, 9.1.2014, p. 3).

(3) See page 5 of this Official Journal.

(4) 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.