What changed

PA_LegEvaluation

PA_Legapp

BUDGETARY ASSESSMENT

SHORT JUSTIFICATION

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(COM(2025)0511 – C100346/2025 – 2025/0287(NLE))

Negotiations for a new Protocol which is needed for the implementation of the Agreement were concluded in June 2025. The new Protocol, with a validity of seven years, was signed on 9 December 2025 and has been provisionally applied since. It will formally enter into force once the ratification process by both parties has been completed, which for the EU requires the consent of the European Parliament.

The Committee on Budgets has carried out a budgetary assessment of the proposal under Rule 58 of the Rules of Procedure and has reached the following conclusions:

The Cook Islands is a Pacific Small Island Developing State (PSIDS), with a population of only 17 000, and one of the Pacific's lowest poverty incidences at 0.2% of the population living below the Food Poverty Line, and 8.4% below the Basic Needs Poverty Line.

A. whereas the previous three-year Protocol with the Government of the Cook Islands expired on 16 December 2024;

The islands' economy relies heavily on tourism and was therefore severely contracting during the COVID pandemic but has rebound and was projected to grow by 10.4% in 2025 and 2.5% in 2026, driven by the recovery of the tourism sector.

B. whereas the financial contribution to the new Protocol for the duration of its seven-year period is EUR 3 220 000, based on:

The fisheries sector is also central to the Cook Islands’ economy and a vital source of livelihood for island communities, notably through coastal fisheries and offshore tuna fisheries. Fish is an important part of diets, with reported annual per capita fish consumption of 60 kg (the global average is around 20 kg; within the EU fish consumption is highest in Portugal with circa 53 kg). The country’s Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is vast with around 1.83 million km². It is noteworthy, that like all other tuna purse seiners active in the area, EU purse seiners do not call or tranship in ports in Cook Islands and do not sell part of their catch on the local market.

(a) an annual amount of EUR 165 000 for access to fishery resources as provided for in the Protocol, set at EUR 1 155 000 for the duration of the Protocol;

The SFPA, together with the Protocol, grants fishing opportunities to EU vessels in the Cook Islands’ fishing areas for 40 fishing days per year in exchange for financial compensation. The Protocol regulates conditions for EU vessels’ fishing activities, vessel licensing and fees and ensures compliance with national and international obligations, including working conditions established by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and the International Maritime Organisation (IMO).

(b) support for development of the Cook Islands’ sectoral fisheries policy amounting to EUR 295 000 per year, set at EUR 2 065 000 for the duration of the Protocol, meeting the objectives of the Cook Islands’ strategic plan for fisheries;

With a total financial commitment of EUR 3.22 million over seven years (EUR 460 000 annually) the Agreement is very modest in scale compared to others. Of the annual amount, EUR 295 000 is allocated to support the Cook Islands’ national strategy for sustainable fisheries, contributing to good ocean governance and the promotion of responsible and sustainable fishing, while EUR 165 000 is paid annually for access to the Cook Islands’ fishing areas. EU vessel operators also pay additional fees.

C. whereas the implementation of the Protocol requires the use of operational appropriations, as explained below:

During the period of the Protocol, the European Union and the Cook Islands are expected to cooperate in monitoring EU vessels, exchanging relevant information, and promoting responsible fisheries management within relevant regional and international organisations. Cooperation may also extend to fisheries management, market access, and monitoring, control and surveillance activities.

DG MARE

A sectoral support programme is established, the main objective of which is to promote and implement responsible fishing in the Cook Islands’ fishing waters, ensuring the conservation and sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources while strengthening the contribution of the fisheries sector to food security, employment creation and economic development. The sectoral support component supports the Cook Islands’ national sustainable development agenda and represents an additional and complementary contribution to the domestic operational budget allocated to the Cook Islands’ Ministry of Marine Resources.

Year 2025

The evaluation of the previous protocol however noted that implementation of the sectoral support programme foreseen for the 2021-2024 period 'had been substantially delayed, which was attributed to travel restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic which isolated the country from the rest of the world for almost 2.5 years, and persistent difficulties for the Ministry of Marine Resources (MMR) to retain adequate levels of staff'.

Year 2026

For these reasons, the rapporteur recommends that the European Parliament gives its consent to the new Protocol, but that the Committee on Fisheries invites the Commission to work towards enhanced local capacity, and to provide timely updates on the implementation of the sectoral support programme, in order to ensure balanced outcomes and mutual benefits.

Year 2027

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Year 2028

The Committee on Development calls on the Committee on Fisheries, as the committee responsible, to recommend approval of the draft Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the Union, of the Protocol implementing the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the Cook Islands and the European Union (2025–2032).

Year 2029

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

Year 2030

The rapporteur for opinion declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not include in his opinion input from interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register, or from representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies, to be listed in this Annex pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure.

Year 2031

PROCEDURE – COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

Year 2032

Title

TOTAL

Conclusion, on behalf of the Union, of the Protocol on the implementation of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Government of the Cook Islands (2025-2032)

Operational appropriations

References

Budget line 08 05 01

13158/2025 – C10-0346/2025 – 2025/0287(NLE)

Commitments

Committee(s) responsible

0.460

Date announced in plenary

0.460

PECH

0.460

27.1.2026

0.460

Opinion by

0.460

Date announced in plenary

0.460

DEVE

0.460

27.1.2026

3.220

Rapporteur for the opinion

Payments

Date appointed

0.165

Charles Goerens

0.460

4.2.2026

0.460

Date adopted

0.460

17.3.2026

0.460

Result of final vote

0.460

+:

0.460

–:

0.295

0:

3.220

14

EUR million (to three decimal places);

2

D. whereas on 20 November 2025, Parliament approved DEC 19/2025 submitted by the Commission on 23 October 2025, which will make available the necessary appropriations on operational line 08 05 01 to honour the 2025 financial obligations resulting from the new Protocol;

2

E. whereas the new Protocol with the Cook Islands has been signed and entered into provisional application on 9 December 2025;

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

1. Notes that the support allocated to the Protocol should meet the objectives of enabling Union vessels to fish in the Cook Islands’ fishing zone, enabling the Union and the Cook Islands to work closely together to further promote the development of a sustainable fisheries policy and the responsible exploitation of fishery resources in the Cook Islands’ fishing zone, and ensuring that the Union and the Cook Islands cooperate to contribute to decent working conditions in the fisheries sector; considers that there should be thorough scrutiny to ensure that the support meets those objectives effectively during the implementatison of the Protocol;

Key to symbols:

2. Recommends that, for future agreements, an impact assessment of the added value and socio-economic benefits derived from the previous agreement be taken into account; considers that this assessment should guide the negotiation and renewal of subsequent agreements to ensure that they align with the objectives of sustainable development and efficient use of the Union’s financial resources;

3. Notes that the transfer of appropriations for an amount of EUR 1 161 000 in commitment appropriations (CA) and of EUR 866 000 in payment appropriations (PA), as submitted by the Commission in DEC 19/2025, has been approved by the budgetary authority in the time limit provided for in the Financial Regulation; regrets that the decision on this budgetary matter is disconnected from, and has to be taken prior to, the decision on the consent to be given by Parliament to the new Protocol; underlines that decisions on the agreement itself and related budgetary matters are inextricably linked, and fears, therefore, that the disconnect risks de facto pre-empting the decision on consent and creating a fait accompli; therefore strongly requests the Commission to ensure that such situation does not occur again in the future;

4. Notes that the 2025 budget as voted on in plenary on 27 November 2024 includes amounts of EUR 90 590 000 in commitment appropriations (CA) and EUR 93 655 000 in payment appropriations (PA) on operational line 08 05 01, as well as amounts of EUR 59 970 000 in CA and EUR 41 620 000 in PA on reserve line 30 02 02; regrets that the amounts are cumulative and not broken down by fisheries agreements, thus making it difficult for Parliament to scrutinise budget implementation in this field;

5. Concludes that the Committee on Budgets is in a position to advise the Committee on Fisheries, as the committee responsible, to recommend approval of the proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the Union, of the Protocol on the implementation of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Government of the Cook Islands (2025-2032).