Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION amending for the fourth time, Regulation (EC) No 2742/1999 fixing for 2000 the fishing opportunities and associated conditions for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks, applicable in Community waters and, for Community vessels, in waters where limitations in catch are required and amending Regulation (EC) No 66/98

(presented by the Commission)

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

Amendment of Regulation (EC) No 2742/1999 is required following decisions recently reached in international fora. In particular:

(1) the Total Allowable Catch of Capelin in Greenland waters for 2000 has been set within a trilateral agreement among Greenland, Iceland and Norway at 975000 tons of which the quota accruing to Greenland shall be 107500 tons and consequentially:

(i) the Community has become entitled to a quota of 75075 tons, this being equal to 70% of the quota accruing to Greenland,

(ii) of the quota accruing to the Community, 10000 tons have been allocated to the Faroe Islands, 30000 tons have been allocated to Iceland and 6700 tons have been allocated to Norway,

(iii) therefore, a net quota of 28375 tons has become available to Member States

(2) the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) at its last annual meeting held on 12-16 June 2000, adopted a catch limitation for yellowfin tuna in 2000 and modified the provisional catch limitation for bigeye tuna adopted in 1999 and the Community, being in the process of accession to IATTC, should fully co-operate with this organisation in all matters of fisheries conservation by implementing these measures.

(3) In addition, greater clarity is required regarding geographical areas in which herring may be caught in the North-East Atlantic.

Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION amending for the fourth time, Regulation (EC) No 2742/1999 fixing for 2000 the fishing opportunities and associated conditions for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks, applicable in Community waters and, for Community vessels, in waters where limitations in catch are required and amending Regulation (EC) No 66/98

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 establishing a Community system for fisheries and aquaculture [1], and in particular Article 8, paragraph 4,

[1] OJ L 389, 31.12.1992, p. 1

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission [2],

[2] OJ C ..., p. .

Whereas:

(1) Regulation (EC) No 2742/1999 [3] as last amended by Regulation (EC) No. 1447/2000 [4] fixes for 2000 the fishing opportunities and associated conditions for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks, applicable in Community waters.

[3] OJ L 341, 31.12.1999, p. 1

[4] OJ L 163, 04.07.2000, p. 5.

(2) The Total Allowable Catch of Capelin in Greenland waters for 2000 has been set within a trilateral agreement among Greenland, Iceland and Norway at 975000 tons of which the quota accruing to Greenland shall be 107500 tons and consequentially the quota accruing to the Community have to be adapted.

(3) The Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) at its last annual meeting held on 12-16 June 2000, adopted a catch limitation for yellowfin tuna in 2000 and modified the provisional catch limitation for bigeye tuna adopted in 1999 and the Community, being in the process of accession to IATTC, should fully co-operate with this organisation in all matters of fisheries conservation by implementing these measures.

(4) Greater clarity is required regarding geographical areas in which herring may be caught in the North-East Atlantic.

(5) Regulation (EC) No 2742/1999 requires to be modified accordingly.

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Regulation (EC) No 2742/1999 is modified as follows:

1. In Annex I C:

- in the entry "Herring, Zone I, II", under "Special conditions", the reference to "Faroese waters" shall be replaced by reference to "Faroese waters including ICES Division Vb north of latitude 62° N".

- The entry in Annex I shall replace the corresponding entry.

2. In Annex I F:

- The entries in Annex II shall replace the corresponding entries.

- The entries in Annex III shall be added.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels,

For the Council

The President

ANNEX I

Species : Capelin

Mallotus villosus // Zone : V, XIV (Greenland waters)

28375 (1)

EC 75075 (2)

TAC Not relevant // (1) Available to all Member States

(2) Of which 6700 tonnes are allocated to Norway, 30000 tonnes to Iceland and 10000 tonnes to the Faroe Islands. The Community share represents 70% of the Greenland share of the TAC for capelin.

ANNEX II

Species : Bigeye Tuna

Thunnus obesus // Zone : eastern Pacific Ocean (area bounded by the coastline of the Americas, the 40°N parallell, the 150°W meridian and the 40°S parallel)

EC Not relevant

TAC Not relevant (1)(2) // (1) The fishery on all types of floating objects shall be closed from September 15 through December 15

(2) The fishery may be closed earlier than 15 September if the catch of bigeye tune of less than 60cm has reached the level of 1999

ANNEX III

Species : Yellowfin Tuna

Thunnus albacores // Zone : eastern, Pacific Ocean (1)

EC (2)

TAC 265000 (3) // (1) Within the geographical area bounded by the west coast of the Americas and a line sequentially joining the following coordinates:

- a point on the west coast of the

United States at latitude 40°N

- latitude 40°N, longitude 125°W

- latitude 20°N, longitude 125°W

- latitude 20°N, longitude 120°W

- latitude 5°N, longitude 120°W

- latitude 5°N, longitude 110°W

- latitude 10°S, longitude 110°W

- latitude 10°S, longitude 90°W

- latitude 30°S, longitude 90°W

- a point on the west coast of Chile at

latitude 30°S

(2) Catches shall be counted directly against the TAC

(3) The fishery shall be closed on 1 December irrespective of whether the 265000 t have been caught.

Special conditions :

When the catch in the zone has reached 240000 t, fishing shall be prohibited in the following areas:

- That part of the zone to the north of latitude 23°N

- That part of the zone within an area bounded by latitude 5°N, latitude 5°S and longitude 85°W.