The new Protocol to Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the EU and Greenland foresees that Greenland will provide the EU with a total fishing opportunity of 85,765 tonnes, down from 91,700 tonnes under the current Protocol. the EU/Greenland Fisheries Partnership Agreement will enter into force on 1 January 2013. On the other hand, it was agreed to further limit catches for jack mackerel to 40% of the 2010 baseline in the South Pacific.

The EU and Greenland have agreed on a new 3 year Protocol to implement the EU/Greenland Fisheries Partnership Agreement. The Protocol foresees that Greenland will provide the EU with a total fishing opportunity of 85,765 tonnes, down from 91,700 tonnes under the current Protocol. As a counterpart, the EU will pay Greenland up to €17.8 million annually. This amount includes the payment of sectoral support to the Greenlandic fisheries sector. In 2010, an European study reported that the Arctic region is being affected by record temperatures in Greenland which can also affect the fisheries sector.

The Agreement will enter into force on 1 January 2013 and the Member States with interests in this Protocol are Denmark, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Germany, the UK, Ireland, France, Spain and Portugal. The Protocol also foresees that vessel owners will have to pay a license fee in order to be authorised to fish in Greenlandic waters, as is the current situation.

On the other hand, the renewal of the Interim Measures for the jack mackerel stock for 2012 was the main issue on the agenda of the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO) Third Preparatory Conference. It was agreed to further limit catches to 40% of the 2010 baseline. The European Commission confirmed that this is fully in line with the EU position and the scientific advice. The EU overall catch limit was fixed at 27,000 tonnes for 2012, a sharp reduction from 135,000 tonnes in 2010.