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4.36. The authorities believe the overfishing of fish stocks in Congolese waters to be a result of the chronic overcapacity of the fishing fleet. This critical situation stems not only from the inadequacy of conservation measures (regarding catch and/or fishing effort quotas and technical measures) and their implementation follow up, but above all from the disconnect between these measures and the rules on sharing production potential among operators in these ecosystems.

4.37. (...). The Fishing Vessel, Boat and Craft Observation Centre (CONBEP) in Pointe Noire has a VMS satellite monitoring system and is primarily tasked with the monitoring, control and surveillance of the fishing activities of vessels fitted with beacons. The Centre's surveillance activities are currently limited by a shortage of patrol boats, although the Congolese State plans to acquire vessels of this type.

4.40. According to the authorities, Congo has 16 protected areas: four national parks, three wildlife reserves, two hunting areas, one hunting reserve, three great ape sanctuaries, one forest reserve (urban protected area), one biosphere reserve and one community reserve. In all, there are over 3.7 million hectares of land spread over three national parks, six reserves, three hunting areas and three sanctuaries.

4.41. Under the National Forestry Action Plan (PAFN) adopted in 1994, the main regulatory instrument in this subsector is the Forestry Code enacted in 2000. [128] This Code requires 85% of rough wood to be processed on the spot. In practice, processing mainly takes the form of sawing and has not reached the 85% target, with the shortfall being the subject of a surcharge (Section 3.1). According to the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), this regulatory framework provides the basis for sustainable forestry management. [130] The forests in the Congo Basin are covered by the Treaty on the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Forest Ecosystems in Central Africa.
[128] Law No. 16-2000 of 20 November 2000. The other texts include: Law No.48-83 of 21 April 1983 determining the conditions for the conservation and exploitation of wild fauna; Law No. 52-83 of 21 April 1983 containing the Code on State Land and Property (the implementing texts of which have never been adopted); and Law No. 03-91 of 23 April 1991 on environmental protection.
[130] The ITTO (2005) defines sustainable forest management (SFM) as: "The process of managing forest to achieve one or more clearly specified objectives of management with regard to the production of a continuous flow of desired forest products and services without undue reduction of its inherent values and future productivity and without undue undesirable effects on the physical and social environment."

4.44. (...) A forest management programme launched in 2000 has seen 11.7 million hectares of forestry concessions brought under management; of these, 6,227,724 hectares already have a management plan in place and around 2,500,000 hectares have been certified. As part of this programme, the French Development Agency (AFD) implemented a support project for the sustainable management of forestry concessions in the centre and south of Congo. Congo's first forestry management plan was adopted in March 2006 in Ouesso and covers the Kabo UFA, an area of 296,000 hectares allocated to CIB OLAM. (...)

Chart 2.1 An Open, Sustainable, and Assertive Trade Policy 2021-30
Three objectives: 1. Support the recovery and transformation of the economy in line with the European Union's green and digital objectives. 2. Shape global rules for a more sustainable and fairer globalization. (...)
Six areas of action: (...) 2. Supporting the transition towards a greener economy and promoting value chains that are sustainable, and in line with EU standards. (...)
Source: European Commission Communication COM(2021) 66 final.

2.12. In addition to the review of its trade policy, the Commission has updated its strategy in various areas to support the EU environmental and digital objectives, and adapt them to the most recent geopolitical developments, notably the war in Ukraine. Some of these strategies have implications for trade, such as the new energy (Section 4.4) and industrial strategies. Under the updated industrial strategy of 2021, the European Union seeks, inter alia, to reduce dependencies from third countries for its value chains in strategic areas by diversifying suppliers, substituting inputs, and pursuing international alliances. These dependencies have been identified in energy-intensive (e.g. raw materials and chemicals), health (e.g. active pharmaceutical ingredients), and advanced technologies (e.g. semiconductors, lithium batteries, and hydrogen) sectors. (...)

2.13. The WTO and multilateral cooperation are critical components of EU trade policy. The European Union is a founding Member of the WTO , and as the world's top trader, it plays a key role in the WTO's work and functioning. (...) More recently, it also sought to advance discussions on trade and environment and co-sponsored initiatives on a fossil fuel subsidy reform, plastics pollution and environmentally sustainable plastics trade, and trade and environmental sustainability. (...)

2.16. (...) More recently, in January 2022, the European Union and the United States agreed to resort to arbitration pursuant to Article 25 of the DSU in the 2018 disputes regarding certain measures on steel and aluminium (DS548 against the United States), and additional duties on certain products (DS559 against the European Union). (...) These developments followed the parties' announcement in October 2021 of the launch of discussions on a Global Arrangement on Sustainable Steel and Aluminium to address the issue of overcapacity in these industries and facilitate the reduction of carbon emissions in their production processes.

2.20. (...) In addition to trade in goods, EU RTAs include almost systematically (since 2010) provisions on (...), and sustainable development (i.e. environment and labour).