Reacting to renewed violence in the African state of Guinea, the EU Parliament Fisheries Committee has rejected a draft fisheries agreement between the Union and Guinea.
The agreement would had provided €450,000 a year in EU funding to develop Guinea’s fisheries sector, and meanwhile allow EU boats to fish in Guinean waters.
The vote took place the day after the Bureau of the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly had strongly condemned the use of force by the Guinean government to disperse demonstrations that took place in the Guinean capital of Conakry on the preceding Monday, leading to the deaths of over one hundred civilians.
The cooperation between the African, Caribbean and Pacific group of states (ACP) and the European Union was established under the Cotonou Agreement of 2000.
The rejected draft, providing EU funding of €450,000 per year, could be supplemented by a further €300,000 per year if further fishing opportunities were granted. An additional €1.6 million would be available over the four years to strengthen the monitoring, control and surveillance system in Guinea’s fishing zones.
Similar cooperation has been in force since 1983.
The vote in the Fisheries Committee was close – 11-9 in favour of rejection – and the EU Parliament has no co-decision in fisheries issues – which it will have if the Lisbon Treaty comes through – but the rejection may delay the Union’s compliance with its commitments.