COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
Brussels, 12.12 1996 
COM(96) 668 final 
Proposal for a 
COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) 
laying down for 1997 certain conservation and management measures for fishery 
resources in the Convention Area as defined in the Convention on Future Multilateral 
Co-operation in the North-East Atlantic 
(presented by the Commission) 

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 
At its Annual Meeting from 20 to 22 November 1996, the North-East Atlantic Fisheries 
Commission (NEAFC) has adopted a recommendation of conservation and management 
measures for oceanic-type redfish for 1997. That recommendation was adopted by a qualified 
majority of the Contracting Parties of NEAFC, including the Community. 
The recommended measures consist of a total allowable catch (TAC) of 153,000 tonnes which 
covers oceanic-type redfish in its entire area of distribution and which is allocated among the 
Contracting Parties concerned. Within this TAC, a share of 23,000 tonnes has become 
available to the Community. Furthermore, Denmark (on behalf of the Faroe Islands and 
Greenland) committed itself to transfer to the Community a further 4,000 tonnes. This results 
in a total 27,000 tonnes of oceanic-type redfish available to the Community in 1997. 
Furthermore, NEAFC adopted a recommendation introducing provisional minimum 
notification and reporting requirements for both oceanic-type redfish and Norwegian spring-
spawning herring (Atlanto-Scandian herring) for 1997. 
As these recommendations have been adopted with the full support of the Community, they 
have to be implemented by the Community. 
Proposal for a 
COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No /96 
of 1996 
laying down for 1997 certain conservation and management measures for fishery 
resources in the Convention Area as defined in the Convention on Future Multilateral 
Co-operation in the North-East Atlantic 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, 
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No. 3760/92 of 20 December 1992 estbalishing 
a Community system for fisheries and aquaculture (1), as amended by the Act of Accession 
of Austria, Finland and Sweden, and in particular Article 8 (4) thereof, 
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1627/94 of 27 June 1994 laying down general 
provisions concerning special fishing permits (2), and in particular Article 7 (2) thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Whereas the Community has signed the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 
which contains principles and rules relating to the conservation and management of the living 
resources within the exclusive economic zones of the coastal States and on the high seas; 
Whereas the Convention on Multilateral Co-operation in the North-East Atlantic, hereafter 
referred to as the "NEAFC Convention", was approved by the Council in Decision 
81/608/EEC of 13 July 1981 (3) and entered into force on 17 March 1982; 
Whereas the NEAFC Convention establishes a suitable framework for multilateral co­
operation in the rational conservation and the optimum utilization of the fishery resources of 
the Convention Area as defined therein; 
Whereas the North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission adopted on 22 November 1996 
recommendations limiting the catches of redfish in the Convention Area and introducing 
minimum notification and reporting requirements for catches of redfish and Norwegian 
spring-spawning (Atlanto-Scandian herring) for 1997; whereas it is appropriate that these 
recommendations be implemented by the Community; 
(1) O.J. No. L 389, 31.12.1992, p. 1 
(2) O.J. No L 171, 6.7.1994, p.l 
,3) O.J. No. L227, 12.8.1981, p. 21 
«£ 
Whereas, in accordance with Article 8 of Regulation (EEC) No. 3760/92, it falls to the 
Council to establish for each fishery or group of fisheries the total allowable catch (TAC) and 
the share available to the Community and to allocate the share available to the Community 
among the Member States; 
Whereas in order to ensure full compliance with applicable conservation and management 
measures while supplementing the control measures provided for in Council Regulation (EEC) 
No 2847/93 (4), certain specific control measures are to be defined concerning the 
authorisation of fishing vessels, their notification and the declaration of catches; 
Whereas the relevant TAC and quotas have been established on an annual basis and may not 
be exceeded and, therefore, they may not be subject to the provisions of Council Regulation 
(EC) No 847/96 of 6 May 1996 introducing additional conditions for year-to-year 
management of TACs and quotas (5), 
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 
Article 1 
Catches in 1997 of redfish by Community fishing vessels shall be limited to the quotas set 
out in the Annex. 
Article 2 
Member States shall issue special fishing permits for their vessels engaging in the 
fishery of oceanic-type redfish and shall notify these permits to the Commission prior 
to the commencement of the vessel's activity, in accordance with Council Regulation 
(EC) No 1627/94. By way of derogation from Article 7 of that regulation, permits 
will only become valid if the Commission has not objected within five working days 
following the notification. 
Member States shall report to the Commission every Wednesday before 12 noon for 
the week ending at 12 midnight on the previous Sunday both the quantities of oceanic-
type redfish caught by their vessels as well as the number of their vessels engaged in 
this fishery. 
(4) 
(5) OJ No L 261, 20.10.1993, p. 1 
OJ No L 115, 9.5.1996, p. 3 
Article 3 
The provisions of Article 2 shall apply mutatis mutandis to herring (Clupea harengus) which 
is caught in ICES zones I and II (Norwegian spring-spawning herring - Atlanto-Scandian 
herring). 
Article 4 
Fishing quotas set out in the Annex shall not be subject to the conditions laid down in 
Articles 2, 3 and 5 (2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 847/96. 
Article 5 
This regulation shall enter into force on 1 January 1997. 
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirely and directly applicable in all Member 
States. 
Done at Brussels, 1996 
For the Council 
The President 
L,,,l* 
ANNEX 
Stock 
Species 
Redfish 
{Sebasies mentella, 
oceanic-type) <0 Geographical area 
ICES XIV/XII/V (2) Member State 
Austria 
Belgium 
Denmark 
Finland 
Germany 
Greece 
France 
Ireland 
Italy 
Luxembourg 
the Netherlands 
Portugal 
Spain 
Sweden 
the United Kingdom 
EC total 1996 quota 
18,220 
1,700 
4 
8 
3,824 
3,200 
44 
27,000 (3) 
Fished with pelagic trawls, excluding discards but including the fish above as well as below the acoustic 
layer 
Community fishing waters and areas beyond fisheries jurisdiction of the other coastal States 
Includes a transfer of 4,000 tonnes from Denmark (on behalf of the Faroe Islands and Greenland) 
£~ 
ISSN 0254-1475 
COM(96) 668 final 
DOCUMENTS 
EN 03 15 11 
Catalogue number : CB-CO-96-680-EN-C 
ISBN 92-78-13408-2 
Office for Official Publications of the European Communities 
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