THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 43 in conjunction with Article 218(5) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,
Whereas:
(1)
The Union and the Government of the Cook Islands have negotiated a Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (‘the Agreement’) and an Implementation Protocol thereto (‘the Protocol’), granting Union vessels fishing opportunities in the waters over which the Cook Islands has sovereign rights or jurisdiction in respect of fisheries.
(2)
Negotiations were successfully finalised and the Agreement and the Protocol were initialled on 21 October 2015.
(3)
Article 16 of the Agreement and Article 12 of the Protocol provide for the provisional application of the Agreement and of the Protocol from the date of their signature.
(4)
The Agreement and the Protocol should be signed, and applied on a provisional basis, pending the completion of the procedures necessary for their conclusion,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: