COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
COM(92) 213 final 
Brussels, 22 May 1992 
Proposal for a 
COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) 
amending Regulation (EEC) No 3687/91 on the common organization 
of the market in fishery products and amending Regulation 
(EEC) No 2658/87 on the tariff and statistical nomenclature 
and on the Common Customs Tariff 
(presented by the Commission) 
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 
Surimi is a protein gel made out of minced meat from fish with a low 
content of fat. Its main characteristics - a lack of taste, odour and 
colour - makes it extremely suitable for the production of seafood 
analogues - with the correct use of additional ingredients these 
preparations of surimi replaces a large number of seafoods in short 
supply. 
The demand for surimi and preparations of surimi has in the recent 
years been steadily increasing in the Community. The Community's own 
processing industry has not yet succeeded in producing a suitable 
surimi as raw material, but certain companies in the EEC have started 
up production of preparations of surimi. 
Information obtained from the industry and the traders indicate that 
the Community now has become a major net-importer of these products. 
However, as neither surimi nor preparations of surimi have separate 
positions in the Combined Nomenclature, the Commission is unable to 
evaluate the trade and the development in the market prices. This lack 
of information makes it impossible to make the two products separately 
subject to the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy. 
The present proposal aims at a separate inclusion of surimi and 
preparations of surimi in the CFP, by creating specific positions for 
these products in the relevant part of the Combined Nomenclature, which 
is annexed to R 3687/91 on the common organization of the market in 
fishery products. 
(PH/REQ/surimi/ex.en- fn) 
COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) No /92 
of 
amending Regulation (EEC) No 3687/91 on the common organization 
of the market in fishery products and amending Regulation 
(EEC) No 2658/87 on the tariff and statistical nomenclature 
and on the Common Customs Tariff 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic 
Community, and in particular Article 43 thereof. 
Having regard to the proposal from the Comroission(^), 
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament(^)r 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee(^), 
Whereas the Community demand for and imports of surimi, which is a 
washed and stabilised protein gel made from minced fish, and 
preparations of surimi, which are destined for direct consumption, have 
been steadily increasing during recent years; 
Whereas the Community production of surimi and preparations of surimi 
has grown in importance concurrently with international trends; 
Whereas experience has shown that although several different species of 
fish with a low fat content may be used as raw material for the 
production of surimi, a specific identification of the raw material 
used is not easily feasible due to the final specifications of surimi 
and preparations of surimi; 
Whereas at present neither surimi nor preparations of surimi are 
separately identified as products subject to the rules of the common 
fisheries policy in Council Regulation (EEC) No 3687/91 of 28 November 
1991 on the common organization of the market in fishery products^4); 
(1) OJ No C 
(2) OJ No C 
(3) OJ No C 
(4) OJ No. L 354, 23.12-1991, p. 1 
(PH/REG/sur i/en- fn) 
- 2 -
Whereas, for that reason, the Community is not able to monitor trade in 
these products or the trend in market prices; whereas therefore that 
Regulation should be amended so as to include these products; 
Whereas the tariff nomenclature resulting from the application of 
Regulation (EEC) No 3687/91 is included in the Common Customs Tariff; 
whereas consequently an amendment should be made to the Common Customs 
Tariff adopted by Council Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87<5), as last 
amended by Regulation (EEC) No (6)# 
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 
Article 1 
Annex VII to Regulation (EEC) No 3687/91 is hereby amended in 
accordance with the Annex hereto. 
Article 2 
Annex I to Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 is hereby amended in accordance 
with the Annex hereto. 
Article 3 
This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 January 1993. 
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly 
applicable in all Member States. 
Done at Brussels, For the Council 
(5) OJ No L 256, 7.9.1987, p. 
(6) OJ No L 
(PH/REG/stri/en-fn) 
ANNEX 
Subheadings 0304 90 and 1604 20 are replaced by the following 
CNoxfc Description Raccof ouvy 
(%) 
or 
levy 
(AGR) eoaweDrioaal Suppleraentary 
unir 
0304 90 
030»» 90 05 
0304 9010 
0304 90 21 
0304 90 25 
0304 90 31 - Otherr 
surini 
other : 
- Of frwnwarer fish 
- Other: 
Of hniiog (Ctupea barengus. Chtpaa palLsë): 
- — — Rom 15 Fcbnxary to 15 Jutie 
- From 16 Jane to 14 Fcbruaiy 
- — Of rcdfish (Setxnrn spp.) 
i i 
0304 90 35 ï— 
i. 
0304 90 38 }—• 
i 
0304 90 39 jH-
0304 90 41 
0304 90 45 — Of oad (Gàdusmorbue. Gadus ogac, Gadus macrocephclus) and of fish 
of the species Boreogadus solda: 
0304 90 47 i 
0304 90 49 
0304 90 51 
0304 90 SS 
0304 90 57 
0304 90 $9 
0304 90 61 
0304 90 65 
0304 90 9 ù — — Of cod of the species Gadus macrocep.iatus 
— — — Ofcodofthc spedes Gadus morbua 
— — — Other 
— — Of rpalfKh (PoUachius virera) 
— — Of haddock (Mclanogramœus aegUfimes) 
— — Of hake (Mahtcàus spp., Uropbycis spp.)-. 
— — — Of hakc of the genuî ÏAeriucdus 
— — — Of hakc of the genus Uropbycis 
Of megrim (Lepidorbombus spp.) 
— — Of Ray*s bream (Brama spp.) 
— — Of monkfiîh (Laphius spp.) 
Of blue whiâag (Microrr^sistius pouîassou Or Gcdur poutassou) 
Of Alaska pollack (TheTTcgn: chclcogra.nma) 
— — Of swordfish (Xîphias gladîus) 
Other 15 
Frce 
20 <>) 
15 15 
Frec 
15 (») (•) 
8 
15 15 
15 12 « 
1S 15 (*) 
15 15 
15 15 
15 15 («) 
15 15 
15 15 
15 15 
15 15 
15 15 
15 15 
15 15 
15 15 
(') Sabjccr to coœplwna: with^be refetxnee pric=. A counceraHing w is pzov deà for fa tac c^c of non-coapluir.ee w*u> the n^otnec pno. 
(*} ^ïïf^^T^^1^ ^ffii* wfehmstA^dinss 0302 40 90.0303 50 90. 03(K J 0 93, 0504 10 98 «d 03<K 90 25 wr*m the Umte of a global acnoJ 
cm» qooea oT 3A 000 tonnes to be Bnmocd by tbc compercat CommonJcy -ntkonries itd subject TO complice wiA àx rcfcrencr price. 
{*) SobjeCE to lîrntn iad conditions to be dctexzaincd by tbc coaipctcot »odjorii jet. 
axmual eanff qnoca of 2000 tonnes to be sramed by dvc cnnipetccr Convaioicy «utLoaries. 
CN oodir 
1 
1604 20 
160«t 20 05 
1604 20 10 
1604 20 30 
1604 20 40 
1604 20 50 
1604 20 70 
1604 20 SO Description 
2 
— Other prepared or preserved fish: 
_ Preparations of surimi 
— — Other : 
— — — Of salmon 
'— — —. Of Salmboidae, other dun salmon 
— : — — Of anchovies 
— — — Of sardines, boniro. markrrH of the Spirit?. Scomber icombrus and 
Scotttber japOTuats. .fish of the species Crrcyncr.ysis urdcolor 
— — — Of tunas, skipjack or other fish of the genus L'uthynnus 
_ Of other fish Race o 
• auconotnous 
(%) 
levy 
(AGRJ 
3 
25 
20 
20 
25 
25 
25 
25 f doty 
cue vcorio naJ 
(%) 
4 
20 
SJ 
7 
— 
25 
24 
20 SupplemcntAry 
unit 
5 
— 
— 
— 
— 
— 
— 
— 
ISSN 0254-1475 
COM(92) 213 final 
DOCUMENTS 
EN 03 02 
Catalogue number: CB-CO-92-226-EN-C 
ISBN 92-77-44339-1 
Office for Official Publications of the European Communities 
Lr2985 Luxembourg