On the proposal for a Council decision on the conclusion, on behalf of the Union, of the Protocol on the implementation of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe and the European Community (2025–2029)

PA_LegEvaluation

BUDGETARY ASSESSMENT

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 Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe and the European Community (2025–2029)

(COM(2025)0370 – C100246/2025 – 2025/0202(NLE))

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 five-year Protocol on the implementation of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement expired on 18 December 2024;

B. whereas the financial contribution to the new Protocol for the duration of its four-year period is EUR 3 300 000, based on:

(a) an annual amount of EUR 325 000 for access to the fishery resources in São Tomé and Príncipe’s fishing zone, equivalent to a reference tonnage of 6 500 tonnes per year for highly migratory species, set at EUR 1 300 000 for the duration of the Protocol;

(b) support for development of the sectoral fisheries policy of São Tomé and Príncipe, amounting to EUR 500 000 per year, set at EUR 2 000 000 for the duration of the Protocol;

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

TOTAL

Operational appropriations

Budget line 08 05 01

Commitments

0.825

0.825

0.825

0.825

3.300

Payments

0.825

0.825

0.825

0.825

3.300

EUR million (to three decimal places)

D. whereas on 4 September 2025, Parliament approved DEC 13/2025 submitted by the Commission on 26 August 2025, which makes available the necessary appropriations on operational line 08 05 01 to honour the 2025 financial obligations resulting from the new Protocol;

E. whereas the Protocol with São Tomé and Príncipe has been signed and entered into provisional application on 6 October 2025;

1. Notes that the support allocated to the Protocol should meet the objectives of enabling Union vessels to fish in São Tomé and Príncipe’s fishing zone, enabling the Union and São Tomé and Príncipe to work closely together to further promote the development of a sustainable fisheries policy and the responsible exploitation of fishery resources in São Tomé and Príncipe’s fishing zone, and ensuring that the Union and São Tomé and Príncipe 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 implementation of the Protocol;

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 825 000 in commitment and of EUR 325 000 in payment appropriations, as submitted by the Commission in DEC 13/2025, was 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;

4. Calls on the Commission to explain the need for the provisional application of the Protocol in question;

5. 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;

6. Stresses that the financial programming of line 08 05 01 needs to be sufficient to cater for the financial obligations in the years 2026-2027 subject to the decision of the budgetary authority in the annual budgetary procedures; calls for scrutiny regarding the financial programming of line 08 05 01 in the annual budgets of 2026 and 2027;

7. 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 (2025–2029) on the implementation of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe and the European Community.