Opinion on the proposal for Council Regulation (EC) amending for the fifth time Regulation (EEC) No 1866/86 laying down certain technical measures for the conservation of fishery resources in the waters of the Baltic Sea, the Belts and the Sound () (95/C 236/16)

On 4 April 1995, the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under Articles 43 and 198 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the abovementioned proposal.

The Section for Agriculture and Fisheries, which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted its Opinion on 4 May 1995. The Rapporteur was Mrs Santiago.

At its 326th Plenary Session on 31 May and 1 June 1995 (meeting of 31 May), the Economic and Social Committee unanimously adopted the following Opinion.

1. Introduction

1.1. The Community acceded to the Baltic Sea Convention in 1983 and the technical measures for the conservation of fishery resources in the Baltic Sea were transposed into Community legislation by Regulation (EEC) No 1866/86 of 12 June 1986.

1.2. The present proposal, which amends that Regulation for the fifth time, is based on the recommendations of the twentieth session of the International Baltic Sea Fishery Commission. Its aim is to protect certain fishery resources in those waters, especially cod and flatfish.

1.3. The proposed measures are of a technical nature and concern the selectivity of fishing gear, mesh sizes, the introduction of restrictions on the percentages of cod by-catches and a ban on cod fishing during a specified period.

1.4. The prime aim of the measures is to ensure better use of existing fishing opportunities for the species in question.

2. General comments

2.1. A rational fisheries policy which is in tune with the resources available has already been called for by the Committee on a number of occasions ().

2.1.1. The proposed measures reflect this thinking and therefore merit endorsement.

2.2. The Committee supports EU membership of all international maritime conventions so that it can stoutly defend the rights of Community fishermen and can help to enact vigorous measures to protect fishery resources.

2.2.1. Accordingly, it gives its unreserved support to the measures aimed at limiting and controlling fishing effort, especially in areas where stocks of certain species are dwindling.

2.2.2. However, these measures must be based on accurate scientific data and must not be determined by any commercial interests of the coastal States concerned, at the expense of Community countries which have traditionally fished there.

3. Specific comments

3.1. The effectiveness of a policy for conserving resources depends basically on the application of equally effective measures to monitor that policy.

3.1.1. The proposed measures will not have a positive effect unless they are fully respected by all operators.

3.1.2. The Committee therefore recommends that fitting and effective measures be adopted to monitor vessels from all the contracting parties which fish in the area.

3.2. As it has already stated, the Committee considers EU membership of international maritime conventions to be highly beneficial.

3.2.1. The fact that the EU is a contracting party to the Baltic Convention empowers it to represent and defend the interests of the relevant Member States with a single voice.

3.2.1.1. The Committee regrets that despite the EU accounting for 65 % of catches in the area it only has one vote.

3.2.2. The Committee calls for more vigorous efforts to change this so that the number of EU votes is properly representative of the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 31 May 1995.

The President

of the Economic and Social Committee

Carlos FERRER

() OJ No C 91, 12. 4. 1995, p. 5.

() OJ No C 304, 10. 11. 1993.