On 17 March 2008, the Council adopted Regulation (EC) No 242/2008 on the conclusion of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire1 (hereinafter the ‘Partnership Agreement’).

A new Protocol to the Partnership Agreement was initialled on 9 January 2013 (hereinafter the ‘new Protocol’). The new Protocol grants Union vessels fishing opportunities in waters in which the Republic of Côte d’Ivoire exercises its sovereignty or jurisdiction as regards fishing.

On 29 May 2013, the Council adopted Decision 2013/303/EU2 on the signing and provisional application of the new Protocol.

The method for allocating the fishing opportunities among the Member States should be defined for the period during which the new Protocol applies.

Under Article 10(1) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1006/2008 of 29 September 2008 concerning authorisations for fishing activities of Community fishing vessels outside Community waters and the access of third country vessels to Community waters3 if the number of fishing authorisations or the amount of fishing opportunities allocated to the Union under an agreement are not fully utilised, the Commission shall inform the Member States concerned. The absence of a reply within the deadlines, to be set by the Council upon the conclusion of the Fisheries Partnership Agreement, shall be considered as confirmation that the vessels of the Member State concerned are not making full use of their fishing opportunities in the given period. The deadline should therefore be set.

To ensure Union vessels can continue their fishing activities, the new Protocol provides for it its application by the parties on a provisional basis as from 1 July 2013. It should therefore be established that this Regulation is to apply as from the same date,