EU and Mauritania Fisheries Partnership Agreement

EU-Mauritania sustainable fisheries agreement and protocol – negotiation mandate for a new protocol

Update

The European Commission has launched a public consultation on its intention to renew the protocol implementing the EU’s Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement (SFPA) with Mauritania. The current protocol will expire in November 2026.

Impacted Products

Shrimp, demersal fish, small pelagic fish and tuna

What is changing?

The EU will evaluate the current protocol implementing the Fisheries Partnership Agreement (FPA) between the EU and Mauritania before it expires in November 2026. This will help the EU and Mauritania draw conclusions about the performance of the protocol over the period 2021–2026.

The evaluation will also consider developments in Mauritania’s fisheries policy and the local fishery sector. It will assess the EU fleet’s fishing activities and the impact of its landings on fish processing and trade in Mauritania, as well as the performance of the EU’s support for the sector, with emphasis on its added value for both partners.

Why?

For the EU fleet to continue to fish in Mauritanian waters, a new protocol needs to be in place as soon as possible after the current protocol expires in November 2026. This public consultation helps ensure that the evaluation of the agreement, and intended renewal of the protocol with Mauritania, takes into account the views of stakeholders.

Timeline

The EU expects to initiate negotiations with Mauritania in the last quarter of 2025.

What are the major implications for exporting countries?

The continuation of the EU–Mauritania FPA under a new protocol would benefit Mauritania’s population by providing economic revenue and employment opportunities through the continued presence and landings of the EU fleet. Implementing the Agreement promotes good governance and supports the local fishing sector.

Recommended Actions

Interested stakeholders are invited to provide their feedback before 10 July 2025 via the European Commission’s Have Your Say webpage.

The consultation is open to stakeholders in non-EU countries. Individuals can respond by clicking on “Give feedback”. Organisations wishing to respond must be registered on the EU Transparency Register. If not yet registered, you will first need to:

1. Create an EU login account: this provides an electronic ID that allows you to consult various Commission sites.
2. Register your organisation on the Transparency Register.

Background

Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreements (SFPAs) ensure consistency between the EU’s Common Fisheries Policy and other European policies, including sustainable use of partner country resources; combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing; integration of partner countries into the global economy; and better political and financial governance of fisheries.

The current SFPA between the EU and Mauritania and its Implementing Protocol were signed on 15 November 2021 for a duration of 6 years. Under the Protocol, the EU fleet is allowed to fish in Mauritanian waters for shrimp, demersal fish, tuna, and small pelagic fish, up to a total of 287,050 tonnes per year (European Commission 2021). The allocation of these fishing opportunities is specified in Regulation 2021/2061. Under the Implementing Protocol (Annex I, Chapter V), the EU fleet is obliged to land or tranship these catches in Mauritanian ports.

Resources

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