1Council Decision (EU) 2025/2139 of 30 September 2025 on the signing, on behalf of the Union, and provisional application 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)

Council Decision (EU) 2025/2139 of 30 September 2025 on the signing, on behalf of the Union, and provisional application 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) 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) On 23 July 2007, the Council adopted Regulation (EC) No 894/2007 on the conclusion of a Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe and the European Community OJ L 205, 7.8.2007, p. 35, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2007/894/oj. (the Agreement). The Agreement entered into force on 29 August 2011. (2) The previous protocol on the implementation of the Agreement expired on 18 December 2024. (3) On 10 September 2024, the Council authorised the Commission to open negotiations with the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe (São Tomé and Príncipe) for a new protocol on the implementation of the Agreement. The negotiations were successfully concluded by the initialling 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) (the Protocol) on 9 April 2025. (4) The aim of the Protocol is to allow Union vessels to fish in São Tomé and Príncipe’s fishing zone, and to enable the Union and São Tomé and Príncipe to work together more closely to develop a sustainable fisheries policy, so as to promote the responsible exploitation of fishery resources in São Tomé and Príncipe’s fishing zone and in the Atlantic Ocean, and to help achieve decent working conditions in the fisheries sector. (5) The Protocol should therefore be signed. (6) In view of the economic importance of Union fishing activity in São Tomé and Príncipe’s fishing zone and the need to minimise the duration of any interruption of that activity, the Protocol should be applied provisionally. (7) Since the Protocol lasts for more than one financial year, the budgetary commitments involved may be broken down over the duration of the Protocol into annual payments, in accordance with Article 112(2) of Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2024/2509 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 September 2024 on the financial rules applicable to the general budget of the Union (OJ L, 2024/2509, 26.9.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/2509/oj). . (8) The European Data Protection Supervisor was consulted in accordance with Article 42(1) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 and Decision No 1247/2002/EC (OJ L 295, 21.11.2018, p. 39, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2018/1725/oj).

and delivered an opinion on 16 September 2025, HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The signing, 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) (the Protocol) is hereby authorised, subject to the conclusion of the said Protocol.

Article 2

The Protocol shall be applied on a provisional basis, in accordance with Article 19 thereof, as from the date of its signature, pending its entry into force.

Article 3

This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption. Done at Brussels, 30 September 2025. For the Council The President M. Bødskov