(1)

Cabo Verde is a country benefitting from the special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance provided under Article 1(2), point (b), of Regulation (EU) No 978/2012 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2), referred to as the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP+). The rules on preferential origin for the purposes of the GSP, other than procedural rules, are laid down in Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2015/2446 (3).

(2)

Cabo Verde was granted a derogation from the rules on preferential origin, by Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1288 (4). The quantities of fish under this derogation were lower than those requested by Cabo Verde at that time, as they were calculated on the basis of the actual utilisation of quotas under the previous derogation. By letter dated 11 December 2024, Cabo Verde submitted that the quantities of fish under that derogation are too limited compared to the real needs and a re-evaluation of the quantities was requested by Cabo Verde. In particular, Cabo Verde made references to the difficult situation experienced by fish processing companies, in that they are obliged to freeze quantities going beyond the quotas and that the employment in the fishing sector is therefore threatened. The quotas allocated to prepared or preserved fillets and loins of tuna in 2024 were not exhausted, with 700 tonnes remaining unused. As an exceptional measure to support Cabo Verde’s processing fisheries sector, these unused quantities can be reallocated to the quotas for mackerel and frigate tuna, without any increase in the overall quantities covered by the derogation currently in force.

(3)

The additional amount will be divided between the two species with an additional 300 tonnes for mackerel and 400 tonnes for frigate tuna for 2025. The quantities set out in the Annexes to this Regulation should be managed in accordance with Articles 49 to 54 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2015/2447 (5) which govern the management of tariff quotas.

(4)

The measures provided for in this Regulation should enter into force on the day following that of its publication with retroactive application from 1 January 2025, in order to take into account the difficult situation of Cabo Verde and to allow that country to apply the derogation from the date.

(5)

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Customs Code Committee.

(6)

Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1288 should therefore be amended accordingly,