ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEEDES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(73)433
Vol.1973/0072

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEANCOMMUNITIES
COM(73)433 final
Brussels,20March1973
ProjectofCommunication fromtheCommissiontothe
Councilontheproblemscreatedbytheallocationof
nationalcatchquotasundertheInternational Com­
missionsforFisheries
Projectofrecommendation foraCouncilDecision
authorizingtheCommissiontonegotiatetheaccession
oftheCommunitytotheInternational Conventionsfor
Fisheries.
Projectofrecommendation foraCouncilDecision
authorizing theCommissiontonegotiateinthename
oftheCommunitytheallocationofCommunitycatch
quotasundertheInternational Commissionsfor
Fisheries
(SubmittedbytheCounciltotheCommission)
(
COM(73 )433final

VI/1052/73-E
IIÎTRODUCTION
Acertainnumberofinternational organizations wereestablishedby
conventionssignedeitherautonomouslyor;undertheaegisoftheFAO
withtheaimofpreservingandexploitingthe"biologicalresourcesofthe
seainarationalmanner(e.g.theInternational Commissionforthe
Horth-WestAtlanticFisheries,,the,North-EagtAtlantic -FisheriesCommission,
FAOIndo–PacificFisheriesCouncil,FAOFisheriesCommitteeforthe
EasternCentralAtlantic,theInternational CommissionfortheProtection
■•"■>;
ofAtlanticTunaFish,etc....).
.TheseCommissions makerecommendations orproposals,accordingtovarious
procedures,totheMemberNationsformeasuresto."betakentoachieve
■iheaforesaidaim.
SincetheattainmentoftheobjectivesofsomeoftheseCommissionsto
whichcertainMemberStatesoftheCommunitybelongautomatically affectsthe
commonfisheriespolicy,theCommissionlaidbeforetheCouncilthree
communications oohcerningparticipation bytheCommunityintheworkof
twoof'these'Commissions(H&'JFC^and andICNAF^).
TheCommitteeofPernanentRepresentatives subsequently agreedonthe
follov/ingmethodsofparticipation :
1.Communityrepresentatives wouldparticipateasobserversintilework
; #oftheCommissions .
2.TheCommission andtheMemberStateswouldcoordinatetheirattitudes
beforehandaridonthespotinordertoreachacommonstandpoint.
3.TheCommissionRepresentative wouldinprincipleactasspokesmanon
questionswhichaffectedtheCommunityandonwhichacommonstandpoint
hadbeenreached. "" '''
Althoughthefirsttwooftheseproposals'havebeenimplemented,thethird
hasnot,forinternalreasons^beeneffectivelyputintopractice,the
CommissionRepresentative havingconfinedhimselftomakingverygeneral
statementsattheendofsessions,ovenoverissuesonwhicha©amnion
standpointhadbeenreached. ''
7ÏT
v'Communication fromtheCommissiontotheCouncilof24March1971relating
toCommunityparticipation intheworkoftheCommissionfortheNorth-East
/pyAtlantioFisheriesConvention(lJEtlFC)Doc.SEC(71)1098final.
^'Communication fromtheCommissiontotheCouncilof28May1971:International
North-EastAtlanticFisheriesConvention:possibilityofameetingat
/,v-roinisteriallevel,Doc.SEC(71)1924final.U'Communication fromtheCommissiontotheCouncilof12May1971relating
toCommunityparticipation intheworkoftheCommissionfortheInternationalConventionfortheNorth–WestAtlanticFisheries(ICNAF)Doc.SEC(71)1662final.

72- VI/1052/73-E i
i
Problemofallocatingnationalcatohquotas I
I
Anewsituationhas"beencreatedfortheCommunity "bytheseCommissions :
theallocationofnationalcatchquotas.
Itbecameapparentthatthetraditional methodsofpreservingfishstooks
wereprovinginsufficient ,indeedineffective,inthefaceofintensive
exploitation andtheconsequentgrowingdepletionofstocksofcertainspecies.
Accordingly,sincelastyear,ruocessfaieffortshare'beenmade-albeitafter
considerablehesitation–tolimitdirectly,onthebasisofscientificdata,
thecatchesofcertainspecies(herring,cod,plaice,haddock,etc.)by
allocatingnationalcatchquotas. "
Inthepresentsituationthismeasureseomsthemostrationalonebecauseit
preventsinparticularcountrieswiththemostmodernandbestequipped
fleetsfromexhaustingstocksbeforethefleetsofothercountrieshavebeen
abletobeginfishingthestocksinquestion.
However,fromtheCommunitypointofview,suchameasureraisesthefollowing
issues:
1.Thisisineffectaquantitativerestriction onproductioninasector
coveredbythecommonagriculturalpolicy,andmoreparticularly bythepolicy
asdefinedinArticle39(1)(<i)oftheTreatyofRome,andoneliabletocause
distortions ofcompetition betweenCommunityproducers.
Moreover,itisdifficulttoseehowsuchameasurewhichaffectsCommunity
productionandmarketingconditions,canproperlycontinuetobeadministered
atnationallevelwhenthereexistsaCommunityregulatingmechanisminthe
1)formofthecommonorganization ofthemarketinfisheryproductsv.
2,Themeasurewouldalsoappeartoconstitutearestriction ontradewith.
thirdcountries,foritformspartofaninternational agreementwherebyeach
partyagreestolimititsproductiononlyontheconditionthattheother
partiesundertaketodolikewise,andthusnottoimportorexportmorethan
thequotainquestioninrespectofthespeciessubjecttointernational control.
Itthereforealsoconstitutesameasureofcommercialpolicy.
*/•
^'CouncilRegulation(EEC)ITo2142/70onthecommonorganizationofthe
marketinfisheryproducts.
OJHoL236,27October1970,p.5. ...

-3- VI/1052/73-B
3.Almostinevitablymoreover,themeasureinvolvesquantitative
restrictions onfishing,whichvaryfromMemberStatetoMemberState.In
thatrespectitshouldhenotedthataccordingtotheprovisionsofArticle40(3)
oftheTreaty,theCommunitymustorganizetheagricultural marketsinsucha
wayasto"excludeanydiscrimination "betweenproducerswithintheCommunity".
ItfollowsthatonlyasystemadoptedonaCommunitybasisandapplied "bythe
Communitywithoutdiscrimination wouldbeinlinewiththeTreaty.
Moreover,aCommunityquotasystemwouldhavedistincteconomicadvantages.
If,forexample,aCommunityreservewereintroduced,then,giventhepresent
ICNAFandNEAFCsystemandthecurrentcatchesoftheMemberStates,itwould
bepossibleforaMemberStatenottouseitsfullentitlementduringa
oertainperiod,withouttherebylosingitsfuturerightsforthatamount,while
atthesametimeanotherMemberStatecouldcatchfishinexcessofitsquota,
subjecttoanobligationtoacceptacorresponding shortfallinthefuture.
Itfollowsfromtheforegoingthatthemeasureinquestionfallswithinthe
scopebothofthecommonagricultural policyandoftheCommunity's
commercialpolicyandthusconstitutesamattercomingwithinCommunity
competence.
Conclusion
Twoconclusions canthereforebedrawn:
1.CommunitycatchquotasshouldbenegotiatedwiththerelevantCommissions
andshouldbeadministered andappliedwithoutdiscrimination bythe
Communityaccordingtoappropriaterules(cf.forexample,theadministration
ofCommunitytariffquotasonimportsfordifferentproducts).
2.ItfollowsfromthisfirstconclusionthattheCommunitymustbeaparty
tothenegotiation oftheallocationofcatchquotaswiththerelevantCommissions
andmustthereforebeacontractingpartytothoseCommissions.
TheCommissionaccordingly recommendstheCounciltoJ
(a)authorizetheCommissiontonegotiate,inconsultationwiththeSpecial
CommitteeprovidedforinArticle113,theaccessionoftheCommunitytothe
International ConventionfortheNorth-WestAtlanticFisheries(ICNAF)
andtotheNorth-EastAtlanticFisheriesConvention(NEAFA);
(b)authorizetheCommissiontoconduct,inconsultationwiththeSpecial
CommitteeprovidedforinArticle113andinaccordancewiththeguidelines
outlinedabove,negotiations ontheallocationofoatchquotasunderthe
ICHAFandtheNEAFC. /

Vï/1052/7>E
Eecommondation foraCouncilDecision
authorizingtheCommissiontonegotiatetheaccession
oftheCommunitytotheInternational Conventionfor
theNorth-WestAtlanticFisheries(iCMP)and.the
North-EastAtlanticFisheriesConvention(NEAFC)
THECOUNCILOFTHEEUROPEANCOMMUNITIES,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity,
andinparticularArticles43and113thereof;
HavingregardtotheRecommendation fromtheCommission ;
Whereasthedevelopmentofnegotiations undertheNEAFCandtheICNAF,in
particulartheallocationofnationalcatchquotasforcertainspeciesof
fish,requiresthattheCommunity "beacontractingpartytotheConventions
inquestion;whereasitisthereforenecessarytoauthorizethe
CommissiontonegotiatetheaccessionoftheCommunitytothoseConventions ;
HASDECIDEDASFOLLOWS!
SoleArticle
TheCommissionisauthorizsdtonegotiateinthenameoftheCommunitythe
accessionoftheCommunitytotheNorths-EastAtlanticFisheriesConvention
(NEAFC)andtotheInternational ConventionfortheNorth-WestAtlantio
Fisheries(ICNAF).
TheCommissionshall "beassistedintheimplementation ofthisDecision
bytheSpecialCommitteeprovidedforinArticle113*
DoneatBrussels,. 1973
FortheCouncil
ThePresident

VI/1052/73–E
Recommendation for aCouncil Decision
authorizing theCommission tonegotiate inthename
oftheCommunity theallocation ofCommunity catch
quotas under theICHAF and theNEAFC
THECOUNCIL OPTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
Having regard totheTreaty establishing theEuropean Economic Community ,
andinparticular Articles 43and113thereof ;
Having regard totheRecommendation from theCommission ;
Whereas theICEAF andthe11EAFC atpresent propose ,according totheir own
procedures ,measures providing fortheallocation ofnational catch quotas
forcertain species offish ;
Whereas such measures constitute aquantitative restriction onproduction
andtherefore come within thescope ofthecommon agricultural policy ,and
inparticular ofthat policy asitisdefined inArticle 390 )(<i)
oftheTreaty ;
Whereas inthecontext ofinternational negotiations theaforesaid measures
result inrestrictions ontrade with third States ;
/
Whereas themeasures must notbeallowed ,asfarastheCommunity isconcerned ,
toresult indiscrimination asregards theconditions ofproduction ^
ifhereas the
allocation ofCommunity catch quotas should therefore benegotiated with the
aforesaid organizations ;
HAS DECIDED ASFOLLOWS :
Sole Article
TheCommission isauthorized tonegotiate inthename oftheCommunity the
allocation ofCommunity catch quotas under the ICITAF andtheNEAFC .The
Commission shr-11 beassisted inthoimplementation ofthis Decision bythe
Special Committee provided for inArticle 113»
I
!
-Done atBrussels , 1973 « i
For the Council
!
The President