2007/532/EC: Council Decision of 23 July 2007 on the conclusion of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters on the provisional application of the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Agreement between the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe and the European Community for the period from 1 June 2006 to  31 May 2010

The Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters on the provisional application of the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Agreement between the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe and the European Community for the period from 1 June 2006 to 31 May 2010 is hereby approved on behalf of the Community. The text of the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters is attached to this Decision.

The Agreement shall apply provisionally from 1 June 2006.

The fishing opportunities set out in the Protocol to the Fisheries Partnership Agreement shall be allocated among the Member States as follows: Fishing category Type of vessel Member State Licences or quota Tuna fishing Freezer tuna seiners Spain 13 France 12 Tuna fishing Surface longliners Spain 13 Portugal 5 If licence applications from these Member States do not cover all the fishing opportunities laid down by the Protocol to the Fisheries Partnership Agreement, the Commission may take into consideration licence applications from any other Member State.

The Member States whose vessels fish under this Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters shall notify the Commission of the quantities of each stock caught within São Tomé and Príncipe's fishing zone in accordance with Commission Regulation (EC) No 500/2001 of 14 March 2001 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93 on the monitoring of catches taken by Community fishing vessels in third country waters and on the high seas ( 1 ) .

The President of the Council is hereby authorised to designate the persons empowered to sign the Agreement in the form of an Exchange of Letters in order to bind the Community.