2006/511/EC: Council Decision of  11 July 2006  on the signing on behalf of the European Community and the provisional application of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters concerning the extension of the Protocol establishing the fishing opportunities and the financial contribution provided for in the Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Government of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau on fishing off the coast of Guinea-Bissau for the period  16 June 2006  to  15 June 2007
Date: 2006-07-11
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Guinea-Bissau, agreement (EU), financial compensation of an agreement, fishing agreement, fishing licence, fishing regulations, protocol to an agreement

22.7.2006

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 200/7

COUNCIL DECISION

of 11 July 2006

on the signing on behalf of the European Community and the provisional application of the
Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters concerning the extension of the Protocol
establishing the fishing opportunities and the financial contribution provided for
in the
Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Government of the Republic of
Guinea-Bissau on fishing off the coast of Guinea-Bissau for the period 16 June 2006 to 15 June 2007

(2006/511/EC)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

(5)

The allocation of
fishing opportunities among the
Member States under the expired Protocol should be
confirmed,

Having regard to the Treaty
Community, and in particular Article 300(2) thereof,

establishing the European

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Article 1

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

Under the terms of the Agreement between the European
Economic Community and the Government of
the
Republic of Guinea-Bissau on fishing off the coast of
Guinea-Bissau (1),
the contracting parties are to enter
into negotiations, before the period of validity of the
Protocol
to determine by
mutual agreement the contents of the Protocol for the
period that follows and any amendments or additions
requiring to be made to the Annex.

to the Agreement expires,

Pending negotiations on changes to be made to the
existing Protocol approved by Council Regulation (EC)
No 249/2002 (2) and amended under the Agreement
approved by Regulation (EC) No 829/2004,
the two
parties have decided to extend its validity for one year
by means of an Agreement in the form of an Exchange
of Letters.

Under this Exchange of Letters, Community fishermen
enjoy fishing opportunities in the waters falling within
the sovereignty or jurisdiction of Guinea-Bissau for the
period from 16 June 2006 to 15 June 2007.

It is essential that the extension be applied as soon as
possible in order
to avoid interrupting the fishing
activities of Community vessels. The Agreement in the
form of an Exchange of Letters should therefore be
signed and applied on a provisional basis pending the
completion of the procedures required to conclude it.

(1) OJ L 226, 29.8.1980, p. 34.
(2) Council Regulation (EC) No 249/2002 of 21 January 2002
concerning the conclusion of the Protocol establishing the fishing
opportunities and the compensation provided for in the Agreement
between the European Economic Community and the Government
of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau on fishing off the coast of Guinea-
Bissau for the period 16 June 2001 to 15 June 2006 (OJ L 40,
12.2.2002, p. 1). Regulation as amended by Regulation (EC) No
829/2004 (OJ L 127, 29.4.2004, p. 25).

The signature of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of
Letters concerning the extension of the Protocol establishing the
fishing opportunities and the financial contribution provided for
in the Agreement between the European Economic Community
and the Government of
the Republic of Guinea-Bissau on
fishing off the coast of Guinea-Bissau for the period 16 June
2006 to 15 June 2007 is hereby approved on behalf of the
Community, pending the Council decision on conclusion of the
Agreement.

The text of the Agreement is attached to this Decision.

Article 2

The Agreement shall apply provisionally from 16 June 2006.

Article 3

The fishing opportunities set out

1.
allocated to Member States as follows:

in the Protocol are

(a) shrimps:

Italy
Spain
Portugal
Greece

(b) fin-fish/cephalopods:

Spain
Italy
Greece

(c)

tuna seiners:

Spain
France
Italy

1 776 GRT
1 421 GRT
1 066 GRT
137 GRT

3 143 GRT
786 GRT
471 GRT

20 vessels
19 vessels
1 vessel

L 200/8

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

22.7.2006

(d) surface longliners and pole-and-line vessels:

Spain
France
Portugal

21 vessels
5 vessels
4 vessels

2.
If licence applications from the Member States referred to
in paragraph 1 do not cover all the fishing opportunities fixed
by the Protocol, the Commission may consider licence appli-
cations from any other Member State.

lation (EC) No 500/2001 of 14 March 2001 laying down
detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EEC)
No 2847/93 on the monitoring of catches taken by Community
fishing vessels in third country waters and on the high seas (1).

Article 5

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

Article 4

Done at Brussels, 11 July 2006.

The Member States whose vessels fish under this Agreement
shall notify the Commission of the quantities of each stock
caught within the fishing zone of Guinea-Bissau in accordance
with the detailed arrangements set out in Commission Regu-

For the Council
The President

E. HEINÄLUOMA

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