Category: Business

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Protocol on the implementation of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau (2024–2029)

(12475/2024 – C10‑0108/2024 – 2024/0159(NLE))

(Consent)

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the draft Council decision (12475/2024),

– having regard to the Protocol on the implementation of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau (2024–2029)(12189/2024),

– having regard to the request for consent submitted by the Council in accordance with Article 43(2) and Article 218(6), second subparagraph, point (a)(v), and Article 218(7), of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (C10‑0108/2024),

– having regard to its non-legislative resolution of …[1] on the draft decision,

– having regard to the budgetary assessment by the Committee on Budgets,

– having regard to Rule 107(1) and (4), and Rule 117(7) of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Development,

– having regard to the recommendation of the Committee on Fisheries (A10-0028/2025),

1. Gives its consent to the conclusion of the agreement;

2. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States and of the Republic of Guinea Bissau.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

The Republic of Guinea-Bissau

Guinea-Bissau has 1.9 million inhabitants from 11 ethnic groups. Half of the population lives in urban areas. This figure is expected to rise. Approximately 60% of the population is under the age of 25. The country has both a high fertility rate and a high infant mortality rate (54.8 deaths per thousand births). More than 40% of the population is illiterate. Since the signing of the previous protocol the country has dropped 2 places and is ranked 179th out of 193 in the United Nations Human Development Index (UNDP, 2021).

Domestic natural resources have always been the mainstay of Guinea-Bissau’s economy. The contribution of agriculture to national GDP and to exports stands at 56% and 90%, respectively, and is based around a single crop – cashew nuts. One of the main challenges facing the country is to diversify production.

Almost a third of public revenue came from international donors, with a third of this amount coming from the EU. The funding provided through the Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA, in its most recent version) between the EU and Guinea-Bissau as compensation for access to resources make a significant contribution to the country’s national public finances.

Guinea-Bissau’s broad continental shelf, fed by rivers, and the seasonal upwelling of ocean currents help to ensure rich stocks of both coastal and oceanic fish species. The main stocks of commercial value include demersal species, small pelagic species, large migratory pelagic species, crustaceans (shrimp, including deep-water shrimp) and cephalopods (squid and octopus).

Artisanal fishing, including subsistence fishing, provides a livelihood for several thousand fishermen and their families, some of whom come from neighbouring countries (the numbers vary according to different estimates).

Trade in fisheries products with the EU has been impeded owing to the country’s inability to comply with EU health standards, despite its best efforts. It is hoped that the strengthening of Guinea-Bissau’s capacities in this field, thanks to the creation and – following a long process – accreditation of a quality control and analysis laboratory (in July 2014 and development ongoing), can help to change the situation.

EU-Guinea-Bissau Fisheries Agreement

The first fisheries agreement concluded between the Republic of Guinea-Bissau and the European Community dates back to 1980. Fleets from EEC/EU Member States have had access to fishing opportunities in Guinea-Bissau waters since that time. In 2007, both parties signed the Fisheries Partnership Agreement. Since then, successive protocols implementing the Agreement have been tacitly renewed and/or negotiated. The Agreement was suspended at the EU’s initiative between April 2012 and October 2014, following a military coup. More recently, talks on the Protocol highlighted the need for a review of the financial contributions provided in exchange for fishing opportunities for EU fleets under the Protocol.

The current Protocol on the implementation of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau (2024-2029) was applied provisionally from the date of signature, i.e. 18 September 2024. This fisheries agreement allows vessels from a number of EU Member States to fish in Guinea-Bissau waters.

The Protocol provides for fishing opportunities in the following categories: freezer shrimp trawlers; freezer fin-fish and cephalopod trawlers; small pelagic trawlers; tuna freezer vessels and longliners; pole-and-line tuna vessels:

The Agreement is multi-species and covers tuna, cephalopods, shrimps and demersal species. The Agreement is part of a network of tuna agreements in West Africa and is one of only three multi-species agreements in the region (the others being with Morocco and with Mauritania).

The fishing opportunities provided for in the Agreement are based on the best scientific advice available and on the recommendations of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT).

The EU contribution to this new protocol is estimated at €85 million over the 5 years, consisting of €17 million per year, of which €4.5 million will be dedicated to promoting Guinea-Bissau’s sustainable fisheries management, control and surveillance capacities, and supporting local fishing communities. 

In addition to the EU contribution, shipowners will pay licence and capture fees to the Guinea-Bissau administration to be authorised to fish. The combination of the EU’s contribution and fees paid by EU operators puts the total estimated financial envelope beyond €100 million over the 5 year period.

The rapporteur hopes that the new protocol will enable the EU and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau to work more closely in order to promote the sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources in Guinea-Bissau waters and to support the country’s efforts to develop the national fisheries sector and related areas.

Recent investment by the African Development Bank and other investors (e.g. China) in infrastructure, as well as a fishing port for artisanal fishing (landing and processing) in Alto Bandim, represent an opportunity for the country, but are insufficient to meet needs. Developing infrastructure for landing, storing and processing fish for use by industrial fleets operating in Guinea-Bissau waters would be of particular importance, not only for operational purposes, but also for the development of the country’s fisheries sector, and would allow for the creation of markets, distribution and marketing structures as well as laboratories for quality analysis.

The rapporteur is of the opinion that the Agreement should help to make the country more self-sufficient, to sustain its development strategy and to guarantee its sovereignty.

He therefore recommends that Parliament approve the conclusion of this SFPA and its Protocol, given its importance for both the Republic of Guinea-Bissau and the EU fleets already operating in that country’s waters.

In view of Parliament’s role and powers in this area, he considers it appropriate and necessary to adopt a non-legislative resolution on this agreement, setting out considerations and recommendations that the Commission should take into account while the current Protocol is in force (which, regrettably, it has not always done in the past).

The rapporteur wishes to highlight the following issues, in addition to those mentioned above, as requiring particular attention.

The Agreement must promote genuine sustainable development in the Guinean fisheries sector and related industries and activities, increasing the added value that stays in the country as a result of the exploitation of its natural resources.

Finally, the rapporteur stresses that the European Parliament should, at each stage, be fully and promptly informed of the procedures related to the Protocol, its renewal and its implementation, as detailed in the non-legislative resolution accompanying this recommendation.

The Committee on Budgets has carried out a budgetary assessment of the proposal under Rule 58 of the Rules of Procedure and has reached the following conclusions:

– having regard to Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union[2],

– having regard to the Interinstitutional Agreement (IIA) of 16 December 2020 between the European Parliament, the Council of the European Union and the European Commission on budgetary discipline, on cooperation in budgetary matters and on sound financial management, as well as on new own resources, including a roadmap towards the introduction of new own resources[3], and in particular point 20 thereof,

A. whereas the financial contribution for the entire duration of the Protocol is EUR 85 000 000 (i.e. EUR 17 000 000 per year), based on:

(a) an annual amount of EUR 12 500 000 for access to fishery resources in the fishing zone of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau; and

(b) a specific amount of EUR 4 500 000 per year in support of the sectoral policy of the Republic of Guinea-Bissau;

B. whereas the implementation of the Protocol requires the use of operational appropriations, as explained below:

EUR million (to three decimal places)

1. Notes that the support allocated to the Protocol should meet the objectives of cooperation in the fields of sustainable exploitation of fishery resources, aquaculture, sustainable development of the oceans, protection of the marine environment, and the blue economy; considers that this should be thoroughly scrutinised to ensure that this is done effectively during the implementation of the Protocol; notes that the support has a direct link to the principles of the Samoa Agreement, reinforcing the Union’s external action towards African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and particularly taking into account the Union’s objectives with regard to democratic principles and human rights, strengthening the Union presence in the region and the cooperation with an important strategic partner;

2. Recommends that, for future agreements, an impact assessment of the added value and socio-economic benefits derived from the previous agreement be taken into account; considers that this assessment should guide the negotiation and renewal of subsequent agreements to ensure that they align with the objectives of sustainable development and efficient use of the Union’s financial resources;

3. Notes that the Protocol with Guinea-Bissau was signed on 18 September 2024;

4. Notes that the transfer of appropriations for an amount of EUR 17 000 000 in commitment appropriations and EUR 12 500 000 in payment appropriations, requested by the Commission in DEC 07/2024 and approved by the budgetary authority, has made available the respective appropriations on operational line 08 05 01 for 2024;

5. Stresses that the financial programming of line 08 05 01 needs to be enough to cater for the financial obligations in the years 2025-2027 subject to the decision of the budgetary authority in the annual budgetary procedures; in this regard, notes that line 08 05 01 in the 2025 Draft Budget and in the Council Position on the 2025 Draft Budget include an amount of EUR 150 560 000 in commitment appropriations and EUR 135 275 000 in payment appropriations; calls for scrutiny regarding the financial programming of line 08 05 01 in the annual budgets of 2026 and 2027;

6. Recalls that in line with Article 33 of the Financial Regulation, EU funding needs to respect the principle of efficiency and effectiveness in addition to sound financial management in order for the financial support granted from the EU budget to fully deliver on its objectives; believes that any possible circumvention of an EU Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement, including, for instance, that with Guinea-Bissau, by European boats or vessels with ownership or management links to European companies sailing and fishing under local flags poses a risk to the sound financial management and implementation of the EU budget; asks the Commission, therefore, to present an analysis of the impact of such circumventions on the efficiency and effectiveness of the implementation to the Budgetary Authority and to take corrective measures if needed;

7. Concludes that the Committee on Budgets is in a position to advise the Committee on Fisheries, as the committee responsible, to recommend approval of the proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Implementing Protocol (2024-2029) to the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.

OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON DEVELOPMENT (28.1.2025)

for the Committee on Fisheries

on the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Implementing Protocol (2024-2029) to the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau

(12475/2024 – C10‑0108/2024 – 2024/0159(NLE))

Rapporteur for opinion: Udo Bullmann

SHORT JUSTIFICATION

The Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau entered into force on 15 April 2008, being tacitly renewable. The previous 5-year Protocol to the FPA entered into force on 15 June 2019 and expired on 14 June 2024.

With a view to adopt a new Protocol to the FPA, the European Commission conducted negotiations with the Republic of Guinea-Bissau. Following these negotiations, a new Protocol was initialled on 16 May 2024. This new Protocol covers a period of five years, allowing Union vessels to access Guinea-Bissau’s fishing zone and to fish for demersal species (crustaceans, cephalopods and fish), small pelagic species, and tuna and associated species there.

The aim of the Protocol is to provide an updated framework that takes into account the priorities of the common fisheries policy and the external dimension, in accordance with scientific advice and the recommendations of the Joint Scientific Committee and the relevant regional fisheries management organisations. It intends to enhance cooperation between the EU and Guinea-Bissau by implementing a partnership framework within which to develop a sustainable fisheries policy and the responsible exploitation of fishery resources in the waters of the Guinea-Bissau, in the interest of both Parties.

The EU’s financial contribution allocated to the Protocol is EUR 17 000 000 per year. This total is broken down into an annual amount of EUR 12 500 000 for access to fishery resources and another EUR 4 500 000 for the development of Guinea-Bissau’s sectoral fisheries policy, which represents an increase for sectoral support in comparison with the previous protocol. 

Guinea-Bissau suffers from chronic malnutrition that is affecting over a quarter of its 1.9 million population, and fisheries offer an important way for the country to fight this. Stretching over 200 nautical miles from its coastline, it encompasses some of West Africa’s most abundant fishing grounds. Small-scale fishing provides over 35% of citizens’ animal protein intake and employs more than 255,000 people. However, threats to the blue economy such as illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing damage the economic and nutritional potential of the fisheries. Furthermore, the weak systems for monitoring, prevalence of corruption, and lack of finances, causes lack of fishing supervision and an inability to effectively manage fish populations.

Your rapporteur takes the view that the Protocol has the potential to promote the responsible and sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources and the development of the national fisheries policy in the Republic of Guinea-Bissau and is in the interest of both Parties. The rapporteur also emphasises the need of stepping up the control and surveillance of fishing activities in order to more effectively tackle illegal fishing. For this reason, your rapporteur is proposing that the protocol be approved.

*******

The Committee on Development calls on the Committee on Fisheries, as the committee responsible, to recommend approval of the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of the Implementing Protocol (2024-2029) to the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Guinea-Bissau.