27.5.1999 Official Journal of the European Communities L 132/1 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COUNCIL COUNCIL DECISION of 26 April 1999 on the signature by the European Community of the Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Programme (1999/337/EC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular  Article 43 in conjunction with Article 228(2), first sentence and (3), first subparagraph thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, (1) Whereas the Community is empowered to adopt measures for the conservation and management of fisheries resources and to enter into agreement with other countries or international organisations; Whereas the Community is a Contracting Party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea which requires all members of the international community to cooperate in conserving and managing the sea’s biological resources; Whereas the Community has signed the Agreement on 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; Whereas the 35th Intergovernmental Meeting on the conservation of tunas and dolphins in the Eastern Pacific Ocean adopted in February 1998 the Agreement on the International Dolphin Conservation Programme; (3) Whereas the objectives of the Agreement include the progressive reduction of incidental dolphin mortalities in tuna purse-seine fishery in the Eastern Pacific Ocean to levels approaching zero, through the setting of annual limits and the long term sustainability of the tuna stocks in the Agreement Area; Wheras Community fishermen fish tuna stocks in the Area of the Agreement and whereas it is in the Community’s interest to play an effective role in the implementation of the Agreement; whereas under Article XIV of the Agreement, the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) is to have an integral role in coordinating the implementation of the Agreement and whereas many implementing measures will be adopted within the framework of TATTC; whereas it is therefore necessary for the Community to accede to the Agreement simultaneously with its accession to the IATTC; Whereas the Agreement is open to signature at Washington from 15 May 1998 until 14 May 1999 by States with a coastline bordering the Agreement Area and by States or regional economic integration organisations which are members of the IATTC or whose vessels fish for tuna in the Agreement Area while the Agreement is open to signature; Whereas the signature of the Agreement is a first step towards its later approval by the Community in conformity with the relevant Treaty procedures,