# Commission Implementing Decision of 14 October 2013 on a Union financial contribution towards Croatia’s fisheries control            programme for 2013 (notified under document C(2013) 6606) (Only the Croatian text is authentic) (2013/673/EU)         

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U.K.

# Commission Implementing Decision

# of 14 October 2013

# on a Union financial contribution towards Croatia’s fisheries control programme for 2013

# (notified under document C(2013) 6606)

# (Only the Croatian text is authentic)

# (2013/673/EU)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 861/2006 of 22 May 2006 establishing Community financial measures for the implementation                           of the common fisheries policy and in the area of the Law of the Sea(1), and in particular Article 21 thereof,                        

Whereas:

(1)On 1 July 2013, Croatia became a Member of the European Union.

(2)Croatia submitted to the Commission a fisheries control programme for 2013, in accordance with Article 20 of Regulation (EC)                              No 861/2006, inclusive of its application for a Union financial contribution towards the expenditure to be incurred in carrying                              out the projects contained in such programme.

(3)Applications concerning actions listed in Article 8(a) of Regulation (EC) No 861/2006 may qualify for Union funding.

(4)It is appropriate to fix the maximum amounts and the rate of the Union financial contribution within the limits set by Article                              15 of Regulation (EC) No 861/2006 and to lay down the conditions under which such contribution may be granted.

(5)In conformity with Article 21(2) of Regulation (EC) No 861/2006, Croatia was invited to submit a programme related to funding                              in the priority areas defined by the Commission in its letter of 25 January 2013, i.e. projects aiming at the implementation                              of the Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009(2) on control, measurement of engine power, and traceability of fishery products. Requirements to be met by operators and/or                              Member States carrying out investments in traceability projects were defined by the Commission in its letter of 14 May 2012.

(6)On that basis and given budgetary constraints, requests in the programs for Union funding related to non-priority actions,                              such as installation of Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) on board fishing vessels and those training projects having                              no link with improvements to be brought in the control systems of Member States, were rejected since they were not dedicated                              to the priority areas defined above.

(7)As to traceability projects, it is important to ensure that they are developed on the basis of internationally recognised                              standards, as required by Article 67(8) of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 404/2011(3).

(8)The Croatian application for Union funding has been assessed with regard to its compliance with the rules set out in Commission                              Regulation (EC) No 391/2007 of 11 April 2007 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC)                              No 861/2006 as regards the expenditure incurred by Member States in implementing the monitoring and control systems applicable                              to the Common Fisheries Policy(4).

(9)In order to encourage investment in the priority actions defined by the Commission and in view of the negative impact of the                              financial crisis on Member States’ budgets, expenditure related to the abovementioned priority areas and retained for this                              financing decision should benefit from a high co-financing rate, within the limits laid down in Article 15 of Regulation (EC)                              No 861/2006.

(10)In order to qualify for the contribution, automatic localisation devices should satisfy the requirements fixed by Implementing                              Regulation (EU) No 404/2011.

(11)In order to qualify for the contribution, electronic recording and reporting devices on board fishing vessels should satisfy                              the requirements fixed by Implementing Regulation (EU) No 404/2011.

(12)The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

## Article 1U.K.Subject matter

This Decision provides for a Union financial contribution for 2013 towards expenditure incurred by Croatia in implementing                     the monitoring and control systems applicable to the common fisheries policy (CFP), as referred to in Article 8(1)(a) of Regulation                     (EC) No 861/2006.                  

## Article 2U.K.Closure of outstanding commitments

All payments in respect of which a reimbursement is claimed shall be made by Croatia by 30 June 2017. Payments made after                     that deadline shall not be eligible for reimbursement. The budgetary appropriations related to this Decision shall be de-committed                     at the latest by 31 December 2018.                  

## Article 3U.K.New technologies and IT networks

1.Expenditure incurred, in respect of projects referred to in Annex I, on the setting up of new technologies and IT networks                        in order to allow efficient and secure collection and management of data in connection with monitoring, control and surveillance                        of fisheries activities as well as on the verification of engine power, shall qualify for a financial contribution of 90 %                        of the eligible expenditure, within the limits established in that Annex.                  

2.Project HR/13/05 referred to in Annex I, related to gauges and scales, shall qualify for a financial contribution of 50 %                        of the eligible expenditure, within the limits laid down in that Annex.                  

## Article 4U.K.Automatic localisation devices

1.Expenditure incurred, in respect of projects referred to in Annex II, on the purchase and fitting on board of fishing vessels                        of automatic localisation devices enabling vessels to be monitored at a distance by a fisheries monitoring centre through                        a vessel monitoring system (VMS) shall qualify for a financial contribution of 90 % of the eligible expenditure, within the                        limits established in that Annex.                  

2.The financial contribution referred to in paragraph 1 shall be calculated on the basis of a price capped at EUR 2 500 per                        vessel.                  

3.In order to qualify for the financial contribution referred to in paragraph 1, automatic localisation devices shall satisfy                        the requirements laid down in Commission Regulation (EC) No 2244/2003(5).                  

## Article 5U.K.Electronic recording and reporting systems

Expenditure incurred, in respect of projects referred to in Annex III, on the development, purchase, and installation of,                     as well as technical assistance for, the components necessary for electronic recording and reporting systems (ERS), in order                     to allow efficient and secure data exchange related to monitoring, control and surveillance of fisheries activities, shall                     qualify for a financial contribution of 90 % of the eligible expenditure, within the limits established in that Annex.                  

## Article 6U.K.Electronic recording and reporting devices

1.Expenditure incurred, in respect of projects referred to in Annex IV, on the purchase and fitting on board of fishing vessels                        of ERS devices enabling vessels to record and report electronically to a Fisheries Monitoring Centre data on fisheries activities,                        shall qualify for a financial contribution of 90 % of the eligible expenditure, within the limits established in that Annex.                  

2.The financial contribution referred to in paragraph 1 shall be calculated on the basis of a price capped at EUR 3 000 per                        vessel.                  

3.In order to qualify for a financial contribution, ERS devices shall satisfy the requirements established in Implementing Regulation                        (EU) No 404/2011.                  

## Article 7U.K.Total maximum Union contribution for Croatia

The planned expenditure, the eligible share thereof, and the maximum Union contribution to Croatia is as follows:

## Article 8U.K.Addressee

This Decision is addressed to the Republic of Croatia.

Done at Brussels, 14 October 2013.

*For the Commission*                            

Maria Damanaki                            

*Member of the Commission*                            

## ANNEX IU.K.

### **NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND IT NETWORKS**

## ANNEX IIU.K.

### **AUTOMATIC LOCALISATION DEVICES**

## ANNEX IIIU.K.

### **ELECTRONIC RECORDING AND REPORTING SYSTEMS**

## ANNEX IVU.K.

### **ELECTRONIC RECORDING AND REPORTING DEVICES**

## ANNEX VU.K.

### **TRAINING AND EXCHANGE PROGRAMMES**

1

OJ L 160, 14.6.2006, p. 1.                           

2

OJ L 343, 22.12.2009, p. 1.                           

3

OJ L 112, 30.4.2011, p. 1.                           

4

OJ L 97, 12.4.2007, p. 30.                           

5

OJ L 333, 20.12.2003, p. 17.