Sittings · Document

RECOMMENDATION (13158/2025 – C100346/2025 – 2025/0287(NLE)) 2026-04-16

On the draft 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)

Committee on Fisheries · Rapporteur: Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez

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Symbols for procedures

* Consultation procedure

*** Consent procedure

***I Ordinary legislative procedure (first reading)

***II Ordinary legislative procedure (second reading)

***III Ordinary legislative procedure (third reading)

(The type of procedure depends on the legal basis proposed by the draft act.)

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the draft 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)

(13158/2025 – C100346/2025 – 2025/0287(NLE))

(Consent)

– having regard to the draft Council decision (13158/2025),

– having regard to the draft Protocol on the Implementation of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Government of the Cook Islands (2025-2032) (13165/2025),

– having regard to the request for consent submitted by the Council in accordance with Article 43(2) and Article 218(6), second subparagraph, point (a)(v), and Article 218(7), of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (C100346/2025),

– having regard to the budgetary assessment by the Committee on Budgets,

– having regard to Rule 107(1) and (4) and Rule 117(7) of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Development,

– having regard to the recommendation of the Committee on Fisheries (A10-0092/2026),

1. Gives its consent to the conclusion of the agreement;

2. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the governments and parliaments of the Member States and of the Cook Islands.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

This new protocol has been negotiated in order to implement the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA) between the Union and the Cook Islands which has been in force since 10th of May 2017. The protocol covers a period of seven years and it aims to update the framework of cooperation between the Union and Cook Islands taking into account the priorities of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) as well as the priorities of the Cook Islands. Having this implementing protocol will also strengthen the strategic partnership the Union has with the Cook Islands and promote a sustainable fisheries policy and the responsible exploitation of fishery resources in the waters of the Cook Islands.

The rapporteur highlights the importance of the protocol to contribute to sustainable fisheries management and therefore it is important that the implementation is done using the best available scientific advice and that scientific cooperation will be an important part of the continued partnership with the Cook Islands.

The rapporteur also believes it to be important for our fisheries relationship with the Cook Islands to be implemented in a coherent way together with the other areas of cooperation between our Union and the Cooks Islands. It is important that we focus on ensuring synergies in all aspects of our partnership with the Cook Islands which includes other strategic issues such as environmental sustainability, climate resilience as well as broader economic cooperation.

The protocol will provide fishing opportunities for 4 tune purse seiners and 40 fishing days per year in the Cook Islands’ fishing zone. The protocol and access to these fishing opportunities in the Cook Islands’ fishing zone is important for the EU vessels operating in the area. Compared to the last protocol this is a reduction of fishing days which is to better align it with the utilisation rate under the last protocol. The Protocol will provide for annual financial contribution to the Cook Islands of 460 000 EUR of which 165 000 EUR is for access to the fishery resources and 295 000 EUR in order to support the development of the Cook Islands’ sectoral fisheries policy.

The rapporteur proposes the parliament to give it’s consent to the new protocol. It is important both for the EU fishing vessels operating in the area but also in order to strengthen the strategic partnership between the Union and the Cook Islands. The geopolitical situation in the area is an important reason for the Union to keep strong partnerships with partner countries in the area as well as deeper cooperation and strengthened Ocean Governance in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean specifically through the work in the Regional Fisheries Management Organisations such as WCPFC.

The rapporteur especially raises concerns with the activities and extended influence of China in the region and believes that it is important for the Union to work diligently to uphold our partnerships in the region as well as exploring potential new ones to strengthen EU influence and contribute to a stronger rules-based Ocean Governance structure.

The rapporteur highlights that the sectorial support under the new protocol will contribute to the implementation of the fisheries policy of the Cook Islands as well as the development of their national sector and fisheries economy by promoting growth linked to fisheries-related economic activities, including associated infrastructure, and ensuring decent working conditions. The support will also contribute to their global plan for fisheries, monitoring and combating illegal fishing as well as supporting their small-scale fisheries sector.

The rapporteur would also highlight the importance of respecting the rights and prerogatives of the European Parliament by the Commission and Council when implementing and when potentially renewing the agreement or protocol. In this regard it is important that the Parliament is kept fully and promptly informed, at each stage, of the procedures related to the Protocol as well as the Agreement.

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

The rapporteur declares under her exclusive responsibility that she did not include in her report 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.

5.2.2026

BUDGETARY ASSESSMENT OF THE COMMITTEE ON BUDGETS

for the Committee on Fisheries

on 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)

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

Rapporteur for budgetary assessment: Olivier Chastel

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:

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

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

(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;

(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;

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

DG MARE

Year 2025

Year 2026

Year 2027

Year 2028

Year 2029

Year 2030

Year 2031

Year 2032

TOTAL

Operational appropriations

Budget line 08 05 01

Commitments

0.460

3.220

Payments

0.165

0.460

0.295

3.220

million EUR (to three decimal places);

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;

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

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 on the sustainable development of the oceans, on the protection of the marine environment, and on contributing 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 implementation of the Protocol; notes that the support has a direct link to the principles of the Samoa Agreement that strengthens the Union’s external action with regard to African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries and takes account, in particular, of the Union’s objectives with regard to democratic principles and human rights, and to strengthening the EU’s presence in the region and cooperating with an important geostrategic partner;

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 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 within 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 de facto risks pre-empting the decision on consent and creating a fait accompli; urges the Commission, therefore, to ensure that such a situation does not arise 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 CA and EUR 93 655 000 in 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 agreement, 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).

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

The rapporteur for budgetary assessment declares under his exclusive responsibility that he did not include in his budgetary assessment 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.

PROCEDURE – COMMITTEE ASKED FOR BUDGETARY ASSESSMENT

Title

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)

References

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

Committee(s) responsible

Date announced in plenary

PECH

27.1.2026

Budgetary assessment by

Date announced in plenary

BUDG

27.1.2026

Rapporteur for budgetary assessment

Date appointed

Olivier Chastel

13.11.2025

Discussed in committee

15.1.2026

Date adopted

5.2.2026

Result of final vote

–:

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL IN COMMITTEE ASKED FOR BUDGETARY ASSESSMENT

Key to symbols:

17.3.2026

OPINION OF THE COMMITTEE ON DEVELOPMENT

for the Committee on Fisheries

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)

(13158/2025 – C100346/2025 – 2025/0287(NLE))

Rapporteur for opinion: Charles Goerens

SHORT JUSTIFICATION

A first Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA) between the European Union and the Cook Islands was concluded in 2016 and initially applied for eight years from October 2016, and then tacitly renewed in 2024 for the next eight years until 8 December 2032.

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 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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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'.

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.

*******

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).

ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT

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.

PROCEDURE – COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

Title

References

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

Committee(s) responsible

Date announced in plenary

PECH

27.1.2026

Opinion by

Date announced in plenary

DEVE

27.1.2026

Rapporteur for the opinion

Date appointed

Charles Goerens

4.2.2026

Date adopted

17.3.2026

Result of final vote

–:

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION

Key to symbols:

PROCEDURE – COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

Title

References

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

Date of consultation or request for consent

11.12.2025

Committee(s) responsible

Date announced in plenary

PECH

27.1.2026

Committees asked for opinions

Date announced in plenary

DEVE

27.1.2026

BUDG

27.1.2026

Rapporteurs

Date appointed

Oihane Agirregoitia Martínez

24.10.2025

Budgetary assessment

Date of budgetary assessment

BUDG

5.2.2026

Discussed in committee

17.3.2026

Date adopted

15.4.2026

Result of final vote

–:

Date tabled

16.4.2026

FINAL VOTE BY ROLL CALL BY THE COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE

Key to symbols: