COUNCIL DECISION (EU) 2019/1925

of 14 November 2019

on the signing, on behalf of the Union, and provisional application of the Protocol on the implementation of the Agreement on a Sustainable Fisheries Partnership between the European Union and the Republic of Senegal

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 2 March 2015 the Council adopted Decision (EU) 2015/384 (1) on the conclusion of an Agreement on a Sustainable Fisheries Partnership between the European Union and the Republic of Senegal (‘the Agreement’) (2). The Agreement entered into force on 20 November 2014 and is still in force.

(2)	The Protocol on the implementation of the Agreement that is still in force will expire on 19 November 2019.

(3)	The Commission negotiated, on behalf of the Union, a new Protocol implementing the Agreement (‘the Protocol’). At the end of those negotiations, the new Protocol was initialled on 19 July 2019.

(4)	The objective of the Protocol is to enable the Union and Senegal to work more closely on promoting a sustainable fisheries policy and sound exploitation of fishery resources in Senegalese waters and to support Senegal’s efforts to develop its fisheries sector.

(5)	The Protocol should therefore be signed and provisionally applied, pending the conclusion of the procedures necessary for its entry into force.

(6)	In order to avoid interruption of the fishing activities of Union vessels, the Protocol should be applied provisionally upon its signature,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The signing, on behalf of the Union, of the Protocol on the implementation of the Agreement on a Sustainable Fisheries Partnership between the European Union and the Republic of Senegal is hereby authorised, subject to the conclusion of the said Protocol.

The text of the Protocol is attached to this Decision.

Article 2

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

Article 3

The Protocol shall be applied provisionally as from the date of its signature, in accordance with Article 16 thereof, pending the conclusion of the procedures necessary for its entry into force.

Article 4

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

Done at Brussels, 14 November 2019.

For the Council

The President

T. TUPPURAINEN

(1) Council Decision (EU) 2015/384 of 2 March 2015 on the conclusion, on behalf of the European Union, of a Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Republic of Senegal and the Implementation Protocol thereto (OJ L 65, 10.3.2015, p. 1).

(2) Agreement on a Sustainable Fisheries Partnership between the European Union and the Republic of Senegal (OJ L 304, 23.10.2014, p. 3).