EN Official Journal of the European Communities L 300/34

AGREEMENT

amending the Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Government of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe on fishing off Sao Tome and Principe signed at Brussels on 1 February 1984

Article 1

The Annex referred to in Article 4 and the Protocol referred to in Article 6 of the Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Government of the Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe on fishing off Sao Tome and Principe, signed on 1 February 1984 shall be replaced by the texts attached to this Agreement.

Article 2

This Agreement, drawn up in duplicate in the Danish, German, Greek, English, French, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese and Spanish languages, each of these texts being equally authentic, shall enter into force on the date of signature.

It shall be applicable from 1 June 1987.

ANNEX CONDITIONS FOR THE PURSUIT OF FISHING ACTIVITIES IN SÃO TOMÉ AND PRINCIPE'S FISHING ZONE BY COMMUNITY VESSELS 1. The procedure for applications for, and issue of, licences enabling vessels flying the flag of a Member State of the Community to fish in the fishing zone of São Tomé and Principe shall be as follows: The relevant Community authorities, via the authorities of the Commission of the European Communities on São Tomé and Principe, shall present to the Ministry for Fisheries, through the designated São Tome and Principe authorities, an application for each vessel that wishes to fish under the Agreement at least twenty days before the date of commencement of the period of validity requested. The applications shall be made on the forms provided for that purpose by the Government the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Principe, a specimen of which is attached. Licences are issued for a given vessel. At the request of the Commission of the European Communities, a licence issued for one vessel may, and in a case of force majeure shall, be replaced by a licence issued for another Community vessel having the same characteristics. Once signed, licences shall be delivered by the São Tomé and Principe authorities to the shipowners or their representatives via the authorities of the Commission of the European Communities on São Tomé and Principe. Licences must be held on board at all times. 2. Licences shall be issued for a period of one year and shall be renewable. The fees due by shipowners provided for in Article 4 of the Agreement and referred to in Article 1 of the Protocol shall be set at 20 ECU per tonne caught in São Tomé and Principe's fishing zone. 3. Licences shall be issued following payment to the National Bank of São Tomé and Principe of a lump sum of 1 500 ECU for each freezer tuna seiner per year and 200 ECU for each pole-and-line tuna vessel per year equivalent to the fees for: — 75 tonnes of tuna caught per freezer tuna seiner per year, — 10 tonnes of tuna caught per pole-and-line tuna vessel per year. 4. A provisional statement of the fees due for the fishing year shall be drawn up at the end of each calendar year on the basis of the catch statements made by the shipowners and forwarded simultaneously to the competent authorities of São Tomé and Principe and the departments responsible at the Commission of the European Communities. The corresponding amount shall be paid to the National Bank of São Tomé and Principe no later than 31 March of the current year. The final statement of the fees due for the year shall be drawn up by the Commission departments responsible following verification of the volume of catch by a specialist scientific body in the region. The final statement shall be notified to the shipowners, who shall have thirty days to acquit their financial obligations. However, if the amount is lower than the abovementioned advance, the resulting balance shall not be recoverable by the shipowner. 5. Before the Agreement enters into force, the São Tomé and Principe authorities shall give notice of the arrangements for the payment of fees, and in particular the accounts and currencies to be used. 6. Every time they enter or leave São Tomé and Principe's fishing zone, Community vessels shall communicate the volume of catch held on board at that time to the radio station on São Tomé and Principe. The call sign shall be communicated to shipowners when the licence is issued. A vessel caught fishing without having notified the radio of Sao Tome and Principe of its presence shall be considered an unlicensed vessel. Vessels shall allow on board observers at the request of the authorities of São Tomé and Principe. Observers should not remain on board any longer than the time needed to carry out spot checks on the catch. 7. Should fishing opportunities for freezer trawlers be made available to Community vessels in accordance with the second subparagraph of Article 1 of the Protocol, such vessels shall not be authorized to carry out fishing activities within the 12-mile zone and may be required to land part of their catch in order to meet local requirements. APPLICATIONS FOR A FISHING LICENCE