Commission Decision (EU) 2018/393 of 12 March 2018 approving, on behalf of the European Union, amendments to the Protocol between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco

• CELEX: Decision (EU) 2018/393
• Articles: 3

Article 1

The amendments to fishing datasheet No 6 of the Protocol between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Kingdom of Morocco, adopted by the Joint Committee established by Article 10 of the Agreement via the Exchange of Letters as set out in the Annex to this Decision, are hereby approved on behalf of the Union.

Article 2

This Decision shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union .

Schedules & Appendices

ANNEX

ANNEX

A.    Extract from letter (Ares) 5493915 of 10 November 2017 sent by the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries of the European Commission

Dear Madam,

Further to my letter of 3 November regarding the follow-up to the conclusions of the recent Joint Committee meeting (ref. Ares 5362568 of 3 November 2017), I am pleased to confirm that, pursuant to Article 5 of the Protocol, the Council of the European Union agreed on a 15 % reduction to the quota allocated in 2018 to category 6 vessels in order to ensure the sustainable exploitation of the stocks in question.

[…]

Furthermore, as stated in the above-mentioned letter, I would ask you to approve by return letter the changes to the following technical conditions in category 6, their purpose being to optimise the use of fishing opportunities in that category:

—

change to the catch composition by increasing the catch rate for the sardine-sardinella group of species to 40 % of the allocated quota, with the increase being offset by an equivalent decrease in catch rates for the horse mackerel/mackerel/anchovies group of species and the by-catch percentage remaining unchanged;

—

increase in the monthly catch ceiling, which is raised to 12 000 tonnes for the period 1 April to 14 July 2018, bearing in mind that the European side insists that this monthly ceiling be maintained for the period running from 1 January to 14 July 2018.

[Complimentary close]

B.    Extract from letter No 8885 of 27 November 2017 sent by the Moroccan Ministry of Agriculture, Marine Fisheries, Rural Development, Water and Forests

Dear Sir,

First of all, let me thank you for the efforts made by your unit to obtain the Council of the European Union's agreement for the 15 % reduction to the quota allocated in 2018 to category 6 vessels.

[…]

As regards the other items referred to in your letter, please note the following points made in my letter of 10 November 2017:

1.

We would confirm the possibility of revising the composition of category 6 catches according to the following rates: 40 % sardine-sardinella, 58 % horse mackerel/mackerel/anchovies and 2 % by-catch.

2.

The Moroccan side does not object to setting the monthly ceiling at 12 000 tonnes, but only as from March 2018. For the months of January and February, which correspond to the end of the sardine's egg-laying period, the ceiling will be kept at 10 000 tonnes.

[Complimentary close]