(Consultation procedure)

The European Parliament,

–   having regard to the proposal for a Council regulation (COM(2007)0664),

–   having regard to Article 37 and Article 300(2) of the EC Treaty,

–   having regard to Article 300(3), first subparagraph, of the EC Treaty, pursuant to which the Council consulted Parliament (C6-0430/2007),

–   having regard to Rules 51 and 83(7) of its Rules of Procedure,

–   having regard to the report of the Committee on Fisheries and the opinions of the Committee on Budgets and the Committee on Development (A6-0085/2008),

1.  Approves the proposal for a Council regulation as amended and approves the conclusion of the Agreement;

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

Text proposed by the Commission   Amendment Amendment 1 Proposal for a regulation Recital 1 a (new) (1a)  Chapter VIII of that Protocol, relating to port equipment, provides that '[t]he Seychelles authorities shall lay down, in agreement with the shipowners, the conditions for using port equipment', but no action has yet been taken to meet the industry's demands for the improvement of the port infrastructure. Amendment 2 Proposal for a regulation Recital 1 b (new) (1b)  If fisheries sectoral policy in Seychelles is to become a reality, account must be taken of the improvement and modernisation of port infrastructure, which is currently highly congested, and of the possibility of abolishing the special landing fee for tuna, which does not exist in any other port in the world. Amendment 3 Proposal for a regulation Article 3 − paragraph 1 a (new) Each year, the Commission shall determine whether those Member States whose vessels operate under the Protocol to the Agreement have complied with reporting requirements. Where they have not, the Commission shall refuse their requests for fishing licences for the following year. Amendment 4 Proposal for a regulation Article 3 a (new) Article 3a The Commission shall report annually to the European Parliament and the Council on the results of the multiannual sectoral programme described in Article 7 of the Protocol as well as on compliance by the Member States with reporting requirements. Amendment 5 Proposal for a regulation Article 3 b (new) Article 3b Before the expiry of the Protocol or the start of negotiations for its possible replacement, the Commission shall submit to the European Parliament and the Council an ex post evaluation of the Protocol, including a cost-benefit analysis.