On 23 June 2026, the Council of the European Union adopted a decision approving the Protocol implementing the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the EU and the Cook Islands for the period 2025–2032. The Protocol allows EU fishing vessels to operate in Cook Islands waters while promoting sustainable fisheries and responsible resource use in the Cook Islands zone and the Western and Central Pacific Ocean, and supporting decent working conditions in the fisheries sector.
The Council decision empowers the European Commission to approve certain amendments adopted by the Joint Committee established under the Agreement, including revisions to fishing opportunities and financial contributions, sectoral support rules, technical fishing conditions, and additional personal data protection guarantees. The Commission must ensure that any amendments align with the Common Fisheries Policy, relevant regional fisheries management organisation rules, coastal state co-management, and the latest statistical, biological, and other relevant information.
Under a streamlined procedure, the Commission must submit a preparatory document to the Council or its preparatory bodies sufficiently before the Joint Committee meeting. The proposed EU position is deemed approved unless a blocking minority of Member States objects within 20 days of receiving the document or during a Council preparatory body meeting, whichever is earlier. If no agreement is reached in subsequent Joint Committee meetings, the matter is referred back to the Council under the same procedure.
The decision enters into force on the day of its adoption. A corrigendum (document 10798/26) corrects the Bulgarian language version of the original Council Decision (ST 13158/25, 7 November 2025); Member States have three days to submit observations.
EU fishing vessel operators gain access to Cook Islands waters under a renewed framework, providing regulatory certainty for the 2025–2032 period. The Cook Islands government receives financial contributions and sectoral support for sustainable fisheries management. The streamlined amendment procedure reduces administrative burden for the Commission but retains a blocking minority safeguard for Member States, balancing efficiency with national oversight. Environmental and labour standards are promoted through the Protocol's sustainability and decent work provisions.