On 17 March 2008, the Council adopted Regulation (EC) No 242/20082 concluding the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire and the European Community3 (the ‘Agreement’). The Agreement was then tacitly renewed and is still in force.

The last Protocol to the Agreement expired on 30 June 2018.

The Commission has negotiated, on behalf of the Union, a new Protocol implementing the Agreement (the ‘Protocol’). The Protocol was initialled on 16 March 2018.

In accordance with Council Decision (EU) 2018/10694, the Protocol was signed on 1 August 2018, subject to its conclusion at a later date.

The Protocol has been applied on a provisional basis as from the date of its signature.

The objective of the Protocol is to enable the Union and the Republic of Côte d'Ivoire (‘Côte d'Ivoire’) to work more closely on promoting a sustainable fisheries policy, sound exploitation of fisheries resources in Ivorian waters, and Côte d'Ivoire's efforts to develop a blue economy.

The Protocol should be approved.

Article 9 of the Agreement establishes the Joint Committee responsible for monitoring its implementation (the ‘Joint Committee’). Furthermore, in accordance with Article 5(4) and Articles 6 and 7 of the Protocol, the Joint Committee may approve certain amendments to the Protocol. In order to facilitate the approval of such amendments, the Commission should be empowered, subject to specific conditions, to approve those amendments under a simplified procedure,