The Community is a Contracting Party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 (Unclos), has ratified the United Nations Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks of 4 August 1995 (UN Fish Stocks Agreement) and has accepted the Agreement to Promote Compliance with International Conservation and Management Measures by Fishing Vessels on the High Seas of 24 November 1993 of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the Unite ...[+++]d Nations (FAO Compliance Agreement).

B. whereas fishing activities by distant water fleets, whether operating in the waters of third countries, in areas regulated by a regional fisheries organisation (RFO) or in unregulated areas on the high seas, should take place in a rational and responsible manner, in accordance with the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Law of the Sea, the UN Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of that Convention relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, and the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries; and whereas both the UN Fish Stocks Agreement and the FAO Code ...[+++]of Conduct require the application of the precautionary principle,

B. whereas fishing activities by distant water fleets, whether operating in the waters of third countries, in areas regulated by a regional fisheries organisation (RFO) or in unregulated areas on the high sea, should take place in a rational and responsible manner, in accordance with the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Law of the Sea, the UN Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of that Convention relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, and the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries; and whereas both the UN Fish Stocks Agreement and the FAO Code of ...[+++] Conduct require the application of the precautionary principle,

B. whereas fishing activities by distant water fleets, whether operating in the waters of third countries, in areas regulated by a regional fisheries organisation (RFO) or in unregulated areas on the high seas, should take place in a rational and responsible manner, in accordance with the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Law of the Sea, the UN Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of that Convention relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks, and the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries; and whereas both the UN Fish Stocks Agreement and the FAO Code ...[+++]of Conduct require the application of the precautionary principle,

TAKING NOTE that the 50th General Assembly of the United Nations, pursuant to resolution A/RES/50/24, adopted the Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 Relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks (the United Nations Agreement on Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks).

By letter of 15 March 2004 the Council requested Parliament’s assent, under Articles 37, 300(2), first subparagraph and 300(3), second subparagraph of the EC Treaty, on the proposal for a Council decision on the accession of the Community to the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Highly Migratory Fish Stocks in the Western and Central Pacific Ocean (COM(2003) 855 – 2003/0332(AVC)).