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 point (a)(v) of the second subparagraph of Article 218(6) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Having regard to the consent of the European Parliament (1),

Whereas:

(1)	In accordance with Council Decision (EU) 2019/2025 (2), the Protocol to amend the International Convention on the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (‘the Protocol’) was signed on 20 November 2019.

(2)

Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (3) provides that the Union is to ensure that fishing and aquaculture activities are environmentally sustainable in the long term and are managed in a way that is consistent with the objectives of achieving economic, social and employment benefits, and of contributing to the availability of food supplies. It also provides that the Union is to apply the precautionary approach to fisheries management, and is to aim to ensure that exploitation of living marine biological resources restores and maintains population of harvested species above levels which can produce the maximum sustainable yield. It further provides that the Union is to take management and conservation measures based on best available scientific advice, to support the development of scientific knowledge and advice, to gradually eliminate discards and to promote fishing methods that contribute to more selective fishing and the avoidance and reduction, as far as possible, of unwanted catches, to fishing with low impact on the marine ecosystem and fishery resources. Moreover, Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 specifically provides that those objectives and principles are to be applied by the Union in the conduct of its external fisheries relations. The Protocol is consistent with those objectives.

(3)

As stated in the Joint Communication by the European Commission and the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy entitled ‘International ocean governance: an agenda for the future of oceans’, and the Council conclusions on that Joint Communication, the promotion of measures to support and enhance the effectiveness of regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs) and, where relevant, improve their governance is central to the Union’s action in these fora. The Protocol is fully in line with these aims.

(4)	The Protocol should be approved on behalf of the European Union,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The Protocol to amend the International Convention on the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas is hereby approved on behalf of the Union.

Article 2

The President of the Council shall designate the person(s) empowered to deposit, on behalf of the Union, the instrument of approval of the Protocol provided for in Article 13 of the Protocol.

Article 3

This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption (4).

Done at Brussels, 29 May 2020.

For the Council

The President

G. GRLIĆ RADMAN

(2) Council Decision (EU) 2019/2025 of 18 November 2019 on the signing, on behalf of the European Union, and the provisional application of the Protocol to amend the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (OJ L 313, 4.12.2019, p. 1).

(3) Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on the Common Fisheries Policy, amending Council Regulations (EC) No 1954/2003 and (EC) No 1224/2009 and repealing Council Regulations (EC) No 2371/2002 and (EC) No 639/2004 and Council Decision 2004/585/EC (OJ L 354, 28.12.2013, p. 22).

(4) The date of entry into force of the Protocol will be published in the Official Journal of the European Union by the General Secretariat of the Council.