ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEEDES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(79)20
Vol.1979/0009

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(79)20 final
Brussels,27February1979
Recommendation fora
COUNCILDECISION
authorizing theCommission tonegotiate onbehalf
oftheCommunityfortheestablishment ofaconvention
ontheconservation ofantarcticmarinelivingresources
(submittedtotheCouncilbytheCommission )
C0MC79)20finalV'> _j!,
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EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
I.Background
1.SinceOctober1977theConsultative PartiestotheAntarcticTreatyof
1959C1)havebeenpreparing aconvention intendedtoestablish amachinery
fortheconservation oflivingmarineresourcesaroundAntarctica .Asingle
draft(seeannex)ofthisconvention hasemergedfrommeetingsofthe
Consultative PartiesheldinCanberra,BuenosAiresandWashingtonduring
1978,althoughthegeographical application oftheConventionisstillindispute.
2.ThreeMemberStatesoftheCommunity (Belgium,FranceandtheUnitedKingdom)
havetakenpartinthesediscussions,andhaveinformedtheotherpartici­
pantsoftheCommunity'spowerandjurisdiction infisheriesmatters,
pointingoutthatparticipation bytheCommunitybothinthenegotiations
andintheensuingconvention wouldbeaprerequisite forasuccessful
outcomeofthesediscussions .Largelyasaresultofdisagreement over
thequestionofCommunityparticipation ,aDiplomatic Conference which
wastohavebeenconvenedbytheAustralian GovernmentinJanuary1979
hasbeenpostponed.TheAustralianauthorities haverecentlyproposedan
informalmeetingtodiscussissueswhichremainunresolved andtonegotiate
definitely onthequestionsofCommunityparticipation attheDiplomatic
Conference andthe"ECrelationship withthefinaldocument".Itisalso
proposedthattheCommunity berepresented atthisinformalmeeting.
11.TheproposedConvention
3.TheobjectiveoftheConventionistheconservation ofAntarcticmarine
livingresources (ArticleII),ormoreexplicitly,theestablishment of
(1)Twelvecountries,includingthreeCommunityMemberStates(Belgium,France,
andtheUnitedKingdom)wereoriginalsignatoriesofthisTreaty,andunder
itsArticleIXareaccordedthestatusofConsultative Partiesresponsible
forconsidering andrecommending measuresinfurtheranceoftheobjectives
oftheTreaty.TwootherMemberStates(Denmark,theNetherlands )havesince
accededtotheTreaty.TheimmediatepurposeoftheTreatywastopromote
scientificresearchinAntarctica,butotherimportantprovisionsinclude
thebanningofmilitaryactivity,nuclearexplosions,anddisposalofradio­
activewastematerial,aswellasamoratorium onterritorial claimsinthe
area.

2
J"suitablemachineryforrecommending ,promoting,decidinguponandcoordi­
natingthemeasuresandscientific studiesneededtoensuretheconservation
" \'
ofAntarcticmarinelivingorganisms"(preamble).TheContractingParties '
agreetosetupaCommission responsible fortheadoptionofconservation
measuresandtheimplementation ofasystemofobservation andinspection,
withthehelpofaScientific Committee.
4.Theobjectiveofthedraftconvention namelytheconservation ofmarine
livingresourcesfallsclearlyunderCommunitycompetencebyvirtueof
thepowersgiventotheCommunityundertheTreaty,asrecentlyinter­
pretedbytheEuropeanCourtofJustice(notablyintheKramerdecision
.of14.7.76),andofthedecisionstakenbytheCouncilofMinisterson
3rdNovember 1976.
Thedraftconvention does,however,alsoincludecertainprovisions which
havethepurposeofbindingtheContracting Partiesto,theConventionto
certainarticlescontainedintheAntarcticTreatyof1959dealinginter
aliawithmilitaryactivityandterritorial claimsin,theAntarctic.
These provisionsreferringtotheAntarcticTreatyfallentirely
outsidethefieldofCommunityjurisdiction .
Moreover,someMemberStatesexercisesovereignty orjurisdiction overterri­
torieswhosesurrounding watersfallwithintheareatowhich1theproposed
conventionapplies.Theseterritories appearinAnnexIVtotheTreatyof
Rome,andtheCommunityisthereforenotempoweredtoactontheirbehalf,
althoughitshouldbenotedthattheactivityofCommunityfishingvessels
inthewaterssurrounding theseareaswouldfallunderCommunityjurisdiction .
III.Communityobjectives v >
5.SomeMemberStatesoftheCommunityhaveaninterestinactivitiesrelated
'4totheexploitation oflivingresourcesintheareacoveredbythedraft
convention aswellasintheprotectionofthenaturalenvironment,and
certainMemberStatesplayaparticularly importantroleinthisarea.
Inviewoftheseexistinginterests,andofthepotentialimportanceofthe
fisheriesresourceswhichwouldbesubjecttocontrolunderthe
convention,itisintheCommunity'sintereststoparticipate inthenego-
,tiationsabouttheestablishment ofsuchaconvention.

HavingregardtotheparticularprovisionsoftheConventionfallingoutside
theCommunity'spowerandjurisdiction andtheparticularinterestsand
situationsofsomeMemberStates,someorallofthemmaywishtosign
theConventionintheirownright.However,asthefunctionsoftheregulatory
CommissiontobesetupundertheproposedConventionfallentirelywithin
theCommunity'spowerandjurisdiction ,itwouldbeappropriate thatonlythe
Community andthoseMemberStatesexercising sovereignty orjurisdiction
overtheterritories referredtoinparagraph 4aboveshouldbecomeMembers
ofthesaidCommission .Appropriate arrangements mustbemade,asinother
conventions whichinvolvetheparticipation oftheCommunity anditsMember
States,tomakecleartotheotherpartiesthatthemattergivesrisetoa
divisionofpowersbetweentheCommunity anditsMemberStates.Theexact
natureofthatdivisionisaninternalquestionwhichtheCommunitywill
decideuponineachcaseandinwhichthe'otherpartiestotheConvention
havenorighttointervene. £
IntheopinionoftheCommission,thesubstanceoftheattachedconvention
isacceptabletotheCommunity.Theessentialprovisions,namelytheestablish­
mentofaregulatoryCommission andanadvisoryScientificCommittee,and
agreedprocedurestoensurethatregulations arerespected,aresimilar
tothosefoundinotherinternational fisheriesconventions .TheCommission
thereforeproposesthattheCommunityacceptthemainprinciplesforeseen
inthedraft,subjecttothenecessaryamendmentstoallow-fortheCommunity
tobecomeasignatory,whilereservingtherighttomakeproposalscon­
cerninganypartofthedraftconventioninthelightofthedevelopment
ofnegotiations .
ForthereasonssetoutabovetheCommissionrecommendsthattheCouncil
adopttheattacheddecisionauthorizingtheCommissiontonegotiatefor
theestablishment ofaconventionontheconservationofAntarcticMarine
LivingResources. ■»

COUNCIL DECISION AUTHORISING THE COMMISSION TONEGOTIATE ONBEHALF OFTHE
COMMUNITY FORTHEESTABLISHMENT OFACONVENTION ONTHE CONSERVATION OF
ANTARCTIC MARINE LIVING RESOURCES .
The Council ofthe Europe'an Communities ,
.t
Having regard totheTreaty establishing theEuropean Economic Community ,
Having regard totheRecommendation from theCommission ,
Whereas on3November 1976 the Council adopted asetofresolutions
concerning certain external andinternal aspects ofthecommon fisheries
policy ;
Whereas itisnecessary topreserve theecologioal "balance oftheseas t
andtothis enc itisappropriate toensure theconservation ofcertain
species offish andmarine mammals andinparticular toprevent anexces­
sive development offishing effort ;
Whereas theConsultative Parties oftheAntarctic Treaty of1959 have
proposed that aConvention ontheconservation ofAntarctic Marine Living .
Resources should beestablished ;
Whereas fishermen oftheEuropean Economic Community arealready exploiting
marine living resources ofthearea tobecovered bytheproposed convention ;
Whereas theEuropean Economic Community should therefore participate in (
international cooperation fortheconservation andmanagement ofmarine living
resources inthe area concerned ;
Whereas itistherefore necessary toestablish directives forCommunity
participation intheforthcoming negotiations forthesaid convention ;
HAS DECIDED ASFOLLOWS :
Sole Article
TheCommission ishereby authorised tonegotiate onbehalf oftheCommunity ,
inaccordance with thedirectives annexed hereto ,fortheestablishment ofa
Convention ontheConservation ofAntarctic Marine Living Resources .
TheCommission shall conduct thenegotiations assisted bytherepresentatives
ofthe Member States .
Done atBrussels , FortheCouncil
The President

ANNEX
ThemainelementsofthedraftConvention ontheConservation of
AntarcticMarineLivingResourcesestablished bytheConsultative
PartiestotheAntarcticTreatyduringtheirmeetingsin1978,namely:
-theestablishment ofaregulatoryauthority (theCommission )and
anadvisoryScientific Committee
-proceduresforreporting,surveillance ,andcontroloffishing
activitywithintheareacoveredbytheConvention
areacceptabletotheCommunity,providedthatappropriate amendments
aremadeinordertoachievetheobjectivesetoutinparagraph 2below.
ThedraftConvention shouldcontainprovisions whichallowtheEuropean
EconomicCommunitytobecomeasignatoryoftheConvention,inparallel
withthoseMemberStateswhichwishtobecomeContracting Partiesbecause
oftherelationship betweentheproposedConvention andtheAntarctic
Treatyof1959.Itshallbeensuredinthenegotiations thatsuchparticipation
intheConventionbyMemberStatesshallinnowaylimittheexerciceby,the
Communityofthepowersandjurisdiction conferreduponitunderCommunity
law.

FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
TheCommunity'sparticipation inthisconvention wouldimplyayearly
contribution totheoperatingexpensesoftheCommission whichwillbe
established underthisConvention .
Itisnotpossibleatthisstagetoestimatethesizeofthiscontribution .
TheCommunitybudgetalreadycontainsalinetoprovideforthiskindof
expenditure (item2987,"International AgreementsonFisheries").