Statement by Commissioner Borg on 20 October on the withdrawal of the Commission''s proposal for a fisheries agreement with Guinea.
This morning, I informed the EU fisheries ministers at the Council meeting in Luxembourg that, in the light of the recent tragic events in the Republic of Guinea, I would be asking the Commission to initiate the necessary procedures to withdraw the proposal to adopt the current Fisheries Partnership Agreement and Protocol with Guinea. This Agreement, exclusively covering fishing possibilities for tuna, was initialled last December. A Council decision allows for its temporary application.
In the current uncertain context there is no doubt that it would be politically unacceptable for the Commission to proceed with a financial transfer to Guinea.
The European Union has decided to pursue consultations with Guinea under Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement and within this framework has suspended its development assistance to Guinea until such time as there is a satisfactory resolution to the crisis. Any humanitarian aid assistance, which is strictly non-political and provided on a needs basis, remains unaffected.
