COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
Brussels, 16.12.1996 
COM(96) 692 final 
Proposal for a 
COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) 
allocating, for 1997, Community catch quotas in Greenland waters 
(presented by the Commission) 

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 
The European Community and the Government of Denmark and the Home Rule Government 
of Greenland agreed to extend their Fisheries Agreement in 1994 for an additional period of 
six years until 31 December 2000. The Parties to the Agreement subsequently agreed on a 
Third Fisheries Protocol covering the same six years and laying down the terms and 
conditions for fishing by Community vessels in Greenland waters, in particular catch quotas 
for the Community for each year of the Protocol. They also agreed to allow for the 
establishment of joint ventures and temporary associations. 
The Agreement allows for the quantities to be taken by vessels which do not fly the flag of 
a Member State of the Community, to the extent where this is necessary for the proper 
functioning of the fisheries agreements concluded by the Community with other Parties. 
Under the provisions of the Third Fisheries Protocol, the authorities responsible for Greenland 
undertake to offer to the Community, by 15 November each year, such supplementary catch 
possibilities as referred to in Article 8 of the Agreement, which at that time are expected to 
be available in the following year. On 14 November 1996, the Greenland Home Rule 
authorities offered supplementary quantities for 1997: 
Cod NAFO 0,1; ICES V, XIV 2,0001 
Redfish (demersal) ICES V, XIV 15,0001 
Redfish (pelagic) ICES V, XIV 12,0001 
Greenland halibut NAFO 0,1 1,7501 
Greenland halibut ICES V, XIV 1,8001 
Halibut NAFO 0,1 4001 
Halibut ICES V, XIV 4001 
Catfish NAFO 0,1 5,0001 
Blue whiting ICES V, XIV 10,0001 
Roundnose grenadier NAFO 0,1 1,7501 
Roundnose grenadier ICES V, XIV 1,8001 
Depending on the outcome of negotiations between the Community and Norway and 
considering the quantities of the species concerned already available to the Community for 
1997 under the Third Fisheries Protocol, it may be felt to be in the Community's interest to 
accept one or more of the supplementary quantities offered by the Greenland Home Rule 
Government. To that end, the Commission will complete its proposal as soon as possible. 
Therefore, the Commission proposes that the Council should agree to react appropriately to 
the supplementary catch possibilities referred to above and to allocate the annual catch quotas 
in Greenland waters by adopting the attached Council Regulation. 
L 
Proposal for a 
COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No ,/96 
of.... December 1996 
allocating, for 1997, Community catch quotas in Greenland waters 
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 aquacultufe(,), as amended by the Act of Accession of 
Austria, Finland and Sweden, and in particular Article 8(4) thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Whereas the Agreement on fisheries between the European Community, on the one hand, and 
the Government of Denmark and the Home Rule Government of Greenland, on the other 
hand(2), has been extended for an additional period of six years, until 3 Î December 2000; 
Whereas the European Community, on the one hand, and the Government of Denmark and 
the Home Rule Government of Greenland, on the other hand, have subsequently approved the 
Third Fisheries Protocol, establishing the conditions for fishing and, in particular, the catch 
quotas for Community vessels in Greenland waters for the period from 1 January 1995 to 
31 December 2000; 
Whereas these quotas may be used by vessels not flying the flag of a Member State of the 
Community, to the extent that this is necessary for the proper functioning of the fisheries 
agreements which the Community has concluded with third countries; 
Whereas the Community shall inform the authorities responsible for Greenland of its reaction 
to offers regarding supplementary catch possibilities, as referred to in Article 8 of the 
Fisheries Agreement, not later than six weeks after receipt of the offer; 
Whereas, to ensure efficient management of the catch possibilities available, they should be 
allocated among Member States by means of quotas in accordance with Article 8 of 
Regulation (EEC) No 3760/92; 
(,) OJ No L 389, 31.12.1992, p. 1. 
(2) OJNoL29, 1.2.1985, p. 9. 
Whereas the fishing activities covered by this Regulation are subject to the relevant control 
measures provided for by Council Regulation (EC) No 2847/93 of 12 October 1993, 
establishing a control system applicable to the common fisheries policy(3); 
Whereas no agreement has been reached with the authorities responsible for Greenland on 
whether the relevant fish stocks should 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 (4), 
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION 
Article J 
For 1997, the allocation of the Community catch quotas in Greenland waters shall be as set 
out in the Annex. 
Article 2 
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 3 
Should the authorities responsible for Greenland make an offer regarding supplementary catch 
possibilities, as referred to in Article 8 of the Fisheries Agreement, the Council shall, acting 
by a qualified majority on a proposal from the Commission, take a decision on that offer 
within six weeks of receipt thereof. 
Article 4 
This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 January 1997. 
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member 
States. 
Done at Brussels, .... December 1996. 
For the Council 
The President 
(3) OJ No L 261, 20.10.1993, p. 1. 
(4) OJ No L 115, 9.5.1996, p. 3 
*V 
ANNEX 
Allocation of Community catch quotas in Greenland waters for 1997 
Species 
Cod 
Redfish (1> 
Greenland 
halibut 
Deep-water 
prawns 
Atlantic 
halibut(2) 
Catfish 
Blue whiting 
Capelin 
Roundnose 
grenadier 
i 
Roundnose 
grenadier 0} 
\ Polar cod <4) Geographical 
area 
all zones 
NAFO 0/1 
ICES XIV/V 
NAFO 0/1 
ICES XIV/V 
ICES XIV/V 
(5) 
NAFO 0/1 
ICES XIV/V 
NAFO 0/1 
ICES XIV/V 
ICES XIV/V 
ICES XIV/V 
NAFO 0/1 
ICES XIV/V 
all zones 
all zones Community 
catch 
quotas 
(in tonnes) 
31 000 
5 500 
48 820 
1 750 
5 700 
4 525 
200 
200 
1 000 
1 000 
30 000 
127 050(6) 
1 750 
5 150 
2 000 
2 000 Quotas allocated to Member 
States 
Germany 25 360 
United Kingdom 5 640 
Germany 5 395 
United Kingdom 105 
Germany 46 270 
France 330 
United Kingdom 220 
Germany 550 
Germany 4 040 
United Kingdom 210 
France 1 012 
Denmark 1 012 
Germany 1 000 
Germany 1 000 
Denmark 3 000 
France 3 000 
Germany 24 000 
Community 62 050 
Germany 550 
Germany 4 400 
United Kingdom 250 
Community 2 000 
Community 2 000 Quantities 
allocated 
to Norway 
(9) J 
2 000(8> 
Ï 200 
1 450 
2 500 
200 (7) 
200 (7) 
25 000 
1 200 
750 Quantities 
allocated 
to Iceland 
(9) 
30 000 Faroese 
quotas 
under EC/ 
Greenland 
(9) 
500 
150 
150 
1 150 
10 000 
111 A maximum of 20 000 tonnes may be fished by pelagic trawl. Catches from the bottom trawl fishery and the pelagic trawl fishery shall 
be reported separately. 
0) If by-catches of Atlantic halibut in trawl cod and redfish fisheries imply over-runs of this quota, the Greenland authorities will provide 
solutions to the effect that Community cod and redfish fisheries can nevertheless continue until the respective quotas have been 
exhausted. 
,3> Experimental fishery, to be conducted at depths greater than 1 500 metres. The maximum by-catch of Greenland halibut will be 40% 
and will be counted against this quota. 
141 To be fished only by pelagic trawl or longline. A by-catch of up to 10%, excluding deep-water prawns and Greenland halibut, will be 
admitted. The by-catch will be counted against this quota. 
l5) Up to 1 000 tonnes can be caught in NAFO areas 0/1 under agreement with Greenland license holders. 
i6) 70% of the Greenland share of the TAC for capelin minus 10 000 tonnes to the Faroe Islands. Calculated on the basis of a provisional 
TAC of 1 100 000 tonnes. Upon revision of this TAC in the course of 1997, the Community quota shall be revised accordingly. 
17' To be fished only with longline. 
(8) May be fished by pelagic trawl. 
<9) Shown for information only. 
FINANCIAL STATEMENT 
4 1. TITLE: Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) allocating, for 1997, 
Community catch quotas in Greenland waters. 
2. BUDGETARY LINE CONCERNED: B7-800 
3. LEGAL BASIS: Article 8 (4) of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 3760/92 
4. DESCRIPTION: 
4.1 General objective: 
Establish the definitive fishing quotas to be granted to Norway in Greenland waters 
in order to balance the arrangements on mutual access fishing rights between the 
Community and Norway for 1997. 
4.2 Period covered: 
1 January to 31 December 1997. 
5. CLASSIFICATION OF EXPENDITURE: CD. Obligatory expenditure. 
6. TYPE OF EXPENDITURE: 
Financial compensation under Article 9 (2) of the Third Protocol (see Council 
Regulation (EC) No 3354/94) for supplementary catch possibilities offered by 
Greenland pursuant to Article 8 of the Fisheries Agreement (see Council Regulation 
(EEC) No 223/85). 
7. AMOUNT OF EXPENDITURE: 
Minimum amount: ECU 1,438,110 
Maximum amount: ECU 2,077,270 
The amount required to be committed in 1997 is calculated on the basis of a 
contribution of ECU 319.58 per ton of cod-equivalent. This gives the following 
calculation: 
Minimum amount 
4,500 tonnes of cod-equivalent x 319.58 = 1,438,110 ECU 
Maximum amount 
6,500 tonnes of cod-equivalent x 319.58 = 2,077,270 ECU 
G 
8. ANTI-FRAUD PROVISIONS: 
Under the Fisheries Agreement between the Community and Greenland, the financial 
contribution from the Commission is not subject to any specific provision as to the 
end use of funds. 
9. ELEMENTS OF COST/BENEFIT ANALYSIS: 
The bilateral, mutual-access Agreement between the Community and Norway is 
managed on an annual basis, by calculating the balance between Community catch 
possibilities in Norwegian waters and Norwegian catch possibilities in Community 
waters for different species. This arrangement is variable annually according to the 
state of the different fish stocks concerned. For 1997, the arrangements with Norway 
are particularly difficult to achieve due to the poor state of the key fish stocks in 
Community waters. This situation is exacerbated by the continued emergency situation 
for North Sea herring and the parlous state of the cod, haddock and mackerel stocks 
in the North Sea and Western Community fishing waters. This fact makes it extremely 
difficult to compensate the access of Community vessels to Norwegian resources with 
Norwegian access to the poor Community resources. On the other hand, the TAC for 
Arctic cod has been increased. Likewise, a higher share of "cohesion cod" will be 
available to the Community in 1997. Community fishing vessels are dependent on 
having continued access to high value species in Norwegian waters, such as cod, 
haddock and plaice in the Barents Sea. 
These reasons make it necessary to compensate Norway with some of the catch 
possibilities that are available to the Community under the terms of its Fisheries 
Agreement with Greenland. In order to avoid jeopardising the conservation of fish 
stocks in Community waters whilst at the same time maintaining, to the extent 
possible, Member States' fishing activities, a purchase of supplementary fishing 
possibilities from Greenland is the only available means to achieve a balanced mutual 
access arrangement with Norway for 1997. 
10. ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES: None 
î 

ISSN 0254-1475 
COM(96) 692 final 
DOCUMENTS 
EN 03 n oi 
Catalogue number : CB-CO-96-714-EN-C 
ISBN 92-78-13859-2 
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