Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION establishing a Community position on the application by Lithuania to accede to the Convention on Future Multilateral co-operation in the North-East Atlantic Fisheries

(presented by the Commission)

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

The Government of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has, as depositary of the Convention on Future Multilateral co-operation in the North-East Atlantic Fisheries done at London on 18 November 1980 (the NEAFC Convention), by letter of 29 August 2003 notified the European Community that Lithuania has lodged an application to accede to the NEAFC Convention.

The European Community is a Contracting Party to the NEAFC Convention since 1981 [1].

[1] OJ L 227, 12.08.1981, p. 21

Lithuania is an acceding State to the European Union and will at the date of accession become bound by the Convention as a Member State of the European Union.

A State may, in accordance with Article 20 (4) of the NEAFC Convention, accede to the Convention provided that an application of accession of that State meets with the approval of three-forths of all the Contracting Parties within 90 days from the date of notification by the depositary.

Becoming a Contracting Party to the NEAFC Convention does not automatically mean that a State will be allocated a quota of already regulated species.

The Commission proposes that the Community support the application by Lithuania to become a Contracting Party to the NEAFC Convention as Lithuania is an acceding State to the European Union and will be bound by the NEAFC rules already before the accession.

Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION establishing a Community position on the application by Lithuania to accede to the Convention on Future Multilateral co-operation in the North-East Atlantic Fisheries

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 300 (2) second subparagraph thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas:

(1) The Government of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has, as depositary of the Convention on Future Multilateral co-operation in the North-East Atlantic Fisheries done at London on 18 November 1980 (the NEAFC Convention), by letter of 29 August 2003 notified the European Community that Lithuania has lodged an application to accede to the NEAFC Convention [2].

[2] OJ L 227, 12.08.1981, p. 21

(2) A State may, in accordance with Article 20 (4) of the NEAFC Convention, accede to the Convention provided that an application of accession of that State meets with the approval of three-forths of all the Contracting Parties within 90 days from the date of notification by the depositary.

(3) The position of the Community with respect to the accession of Lithuania should be established,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Sole Article

The Community position on the application by Lithuania to accede to the Convention on Future Multilateral co-operation in the North-East Atlantic Fisheries shall be as follows:

"The European Community will support the application by Lithuania to accede to the Convention on Future Multilateral co-operation in the North-East Atlantic Fisheries."

Done at Brussels,

For the Council

The President