Council Regulation (EU) 2019/1919
of 8 November 2019
on the allocation of the fishing opportunities under the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 43(3) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,
Whereas:
(1) The Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania (‘the Agreement’), approved by Council Regulation (EC) No 1801/2006, entered into force on 8 August 2008.
OJ L 343, 8.12.2006, p. 4.
Council Regulation (EC) No 1801/2006 of 30 November 2006 on the conclusion of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania (OJ L 343, 8.12.2006, p. 1).
(2) The Protocol to the Agreement, setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution, which entered into force on the same day for a period of two years, has been replaced several times.
(3) The Protocol to the Agreement that is currently in force (‘the Protocol’) will expire on 15 November 2019.
Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania for a period of four years (OJ L 315, 1.12.2015, p. 3).
(4) On 8 July 2019, the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Mauritania for the conclusion of a new Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement and Protocol implementing that Agreement.
(5) Pending completion of those negotiations, the Commission negotiated, on behalf of the Union, an Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters on an extension, for a maximum period of one year, to the Protocol (‘Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters’). Following those negotiations, the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters was initialled on 4 September 2019.
(6) In accordance with Council Decision (EU) 2019/[1918], the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters was signed on 13 November 2019.
Council Decision (EU) 2019/1918 of 8 November 2019 on the signing, on behalf of the European Union, and provisional application of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters between the European Union and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania on an extension of the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Islamic Republic of Mauritania, expiring on 15 November 2019 (see page 1 of this Official Journal).
(7) The method for allocating the fishing opportunities among the Member States should be defined for the period of application of the Protocol extension.
(8) Article 47(2) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2403 of the European Parliament and of the Council provides that the Commission will inform the Member States concerned if it transpires that the fishing opportunities allocated to the Union under the Protocol have not been fully used and it will ask them to confirm that they are not making use of this fishing opportunity. If no reply is received within a time limit to be set by the Council, this will be considered as confirmation that the vessels of the Member State concerned are not making full use of their fishing opportunities during the given period. This time limit should be set.
Regulation (EU) 2017/2403 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2017 on the sustainable management of external fishing fleets, and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1006/2008 (OJ L 347, 28.12.2017, p. 81).
(9) This Regulation should apply from the date of the provisional application of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: