2003/384/EC: Council Decision of 19 May 2003 on the signing, on behalf of the European Community, and provisional application of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters concerning the extension of the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Government of the Republic of Guinea on fishing off the Guinean coast for the period 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2003
Date: 2003-05-19
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Guinea, financial compensation of an agreement, fishing agreement, international negotiations, protocol to an agreement

29.5.2003

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 133/83

II

(Acts whose publication is not obligatory)

COUNCIL

COUNCIL DECISION

of 19 May 2003

on the signing, on behalf of the European Community, and provisional application of the Agree-
ment in the form of an Exchange of Letters concerning the extension of the Protocol setting out
the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Agreement between the
European Economic Community and the Government of the Republic of Guinea on fishing off the
Guinean coast for the period 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2003

(2003/384/EC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Commu-
nity, and in particular Article 37 in conjunction with Article
300(2) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

an Exchange of Letters should therefore be signed,
pending a definitive decision under Article 37 of the
Treaty, and applied provisionally.

(5)

The method of allocating the fishing opportunities for
trawlers and tuna boats among the Member States under
the Protocol that is due to expire should be confirmed,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

The European Community and the Republic of Guinea
have held negotiations to determine the amendments or
additions to be made to the Agreement between the
European Economic Community and the Government of
the Guinean
the Republic of Guinea on fishing off
coast (1) at the end of the period of application of the
Protocol annexed to the said Agreement.

During these negotiations, the two parties decided to
extend the current Protocol (2) for a second one-year
period from 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2003 by
means of an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of
Letters, pending the conclusion of the negotiations on
the amendments to be made to the Protocol.

Under this Exchange of Letters, Community fishermen
have fishing opportunities in the waters under the sover-
eignty or jurisdiction of the Republic of Guinea for the
period 1 January 2003 to 31 December 2003.

The extension must be applied at the earliest opportu-
nity in order to avoid fishing activities by Community
vessels being interrupted. The Agreement in the form of

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Article 1

The signature of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of
Letters concerning the extension of the Protocol setting out the
fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in
the Agreement between the European Economic Community
and the Government of the Republic of Guinea on fishing off
for the period 1 January 2003 to 31
the Guinean coast
December 2003 is hereby approved on behalf of the Commu-
nity, pending the Council decision on conclusion of the Agree-
ment.

The text of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of
Letters is attached to this Decision.

Article 2

(1) OJ L 111, 27.4.1983, p. 1.
(2) The current Protocol was approved by Regulation (EC) No 445/
2001 (OJ L 64, 6.3.2001, p. 3) extended by one year by Regulation
(EC) No 924/2002 (OJ L 144, 1.6.2002, p. 3).

The Agreement referred to in Article 1 shall apply provisionally
in the Community with effect from 1 January 2003.

L 133/84

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

29.5.2003

Article 3

The fishing opportunities for trawlers and tuna boats fixed in
Article 1 of the Protocol shall be allocated pro rata temporis
among the Member States as follows:

(a)

fin-fish/cephalopods

Spain

Italy

Greece

(b) shrimps

Spain

Portugal

Greece

(c)

tuna seiners

France

Spain

(d) pole-and-line tuna vessels

France

Spain

(e) surface longliners

Spain

Portugal

844 grt

750 grt

906 grt

1 050 grt

300 grt

150 grt

19 vessels

19 vessels

7 vessels

7 vessels

14 vessels

2 vessels

If licence applications from these Member States do not cover
all the fishing opportunities fixed by the Protocol, the Commis-
sion may take into consideration licence applications from any
other Member State.

Article 4

The Member States whose vessels fish under the Agreement in
the form of an Exchange of Letters shall notify the Commission
of the quantities of each stock caught within the Guinean
fishing zone in accordance with the implementing rules laid
down by Commission Regulation (EC) No 500/2001 (1).

Article 5

The President of the Council is hereby authorised to designate
the person(s) empowered to sign the Agreement in the form of
an Exchange of Letters on behalf of the Community, subject to
its conclusion.

Article 6

This Decision shall take effect on the date of its publication in
the Official Journal of the European Union.

Done at Brussels, 19 May 2003.

For the Council

The President

A.-A. TSOCHATZOPOULOS

(1) OJ L 73, 15.3.2001, p. 8.