NoC19/48 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 25.1.93
OpinionontheproposalforaCouncilRegulation (EEC)establishingaCommunitysystem
forfisheriesandaquaculture
(93/C19/17)
On21October1992,theCouncildecidedtoconsulttheEconomicandSocialCommittee,
underArticle198oftheTreatyestablishingtheEuropeanEconomicCommunity ,onthe
abovementioned proposal.
TheEconomicandSocialCommitteedecidedtoinstructMrSilva,asRapporteur-General ,
topreparetheCommittee'sworkonthesubject.
Atits301stPlenarySession(meetingof24November1992),theEconomicandSocial
CommitteeunanimouslyadoptedthefollowingOpinion.
presentproposal.Consequently ,theESCendorsesthe
presentproposalforaRegulationsubjecttothefollow­
ingcomments.
6.Theconservationoffisheryresourcesis,today,
withoutdoubtanabsolutepriority.
However,ashighlightedinpreviousESCOpinions,the
fisheriessectorisnottheonlypartyresponsibleforthe
presentstateofaffairs.Otherfactorsalsocontributeto
thesector'scurrentvulnerability .
7.Theneedtoconservefisheryresourcesandto
guaranteethecontinuationoffisheriesactivitiesinthe
bestconditionspossiblewillinvolvesomerestrictions
andthereshapingofsomeassumptionsonwhichthe
commonfisheriespolicywasbased.1.Theaimofthepresentproposalistofollowon
fromtheproposalssetoutintheReportontheCom­
monFisheriesPolicy^)presentedtotheCouncilby
theCommissionasrequiredunderRegulation (EEC)
No170/83(2).
2.Giventheneedtocomplywiththedeadlinelaid
downfortheCouncil'sdecision,thepresentESCOpin­
ionwillhavetobeconfinedtothemostimportant
aspectsofthequestion;forthisreason,thisOpinion
willbesupplemented byanadditionalOpinion.
3.TheEconomicandSocialCommittee,consulted
forthispurposebytheCommission ,has,throughits
Opinions(3),beenfullyinvolvedinthedebateonthe
situationinthefisheriessectorbetween1983and1990,
andtheperspectivesforthissectorforthe1993-2002
period.
4.TheCommitteewelcomesthefactthatsomeof
thesuggestionssetoutinitsOpinions,interaliarelating
to:
—improvedconsiderationofallfactorsaffectingfish
mortality;
—greatertransparencyindecision-making andmore
involvementofprofessionals ;
—theneedtoimprovetheTACandquotasystem;
—theneedformulti-speciesandmulti-annualTACs
totakebetteraccountofthesituationinthefisheries
sector;
—asystemofannualcarry-overofTACandquotas.
havebeenincludedbytheCommissioninthepresent
draftRegulation .
5.SomepriorityissuesadvocatedbytheESC,the
EPandsocio-occupational bodies,aswellasbythe
Commissionitselfintheabove-mentioned Report,have
nothoweverbeentakensufficientlyintoaccountinthe8.However,oneshouldnotlosesightofthefact
that,overandabovepurelytechnicalaspects,fisheries
andrelatedactivitiescontinuetobeoffundamental
economicandsocialimportance,particularlyinsome
regionswherethereisahighconcentrationoffisheries,
orotherswhichareparticularlydependentonthis
sector.Itsparticularimportanceisthereforemuch
greaterthanitsrelativesignificanceintermsofits
contributiontotheCommunity'sGrossDomesticProd­
uct(GDP).
9.Regardingprioritiesforguidelinesforthesector's
future,theESCstressestheneedforanoverall,coherent
approach,takingfullaccountofthedifferentaspects
ofthesector.Withthisinmindandagainsttheback­
groundofthelatentcrisisfacingthesector,socialpolicy
assumesparticularimportance .
10.Asregardstheprincipleofrelativestability,the
ESCreiteratestheneedtomaintainthisprinciplewith
anyadaptationsandadjustmentswhichmaybewar­
rantedinoveralltermsbychangesinthesituationsince
1983.(')SEC(91)2288final.
(2)OJNoL24,27.1.1983.
(3)OJNoC339,31.12.1991,p.76;OJNoC223,31.8.1992,
p.30. 11.Establishing aCommunitylicensingsystem

25.1.93 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC19/49
14.Asanticipatedinthe1991CommissionReport
ontheCommonFisheriesPolicyapprovedbythe
Council,itisessentialtocompensatefor'socio-econ­
omicupheavalbyappropriate accompanying
measures'(2).
15.Consequently ,theproposal—particularlysince
itconcernsaframeworkregulation—mustspecifythat
structuraladjustmentmeasureswillhavetoincorporate
socialandregionalback-upmeasuresaspartofan
effectivelink-upbetweentheCommonFisheriesPolicy
andtheStructuralFunds,particularlybymeansof
actionforthenewobjective6areas.
16.Lastly,reformingandadjustingtheCommon
FisheriesPolicypresupposestheavailabilityoffinancial
resourcescommensurate withtheproclaimedaims.designedtorationalizeexploitationofstockscould
provebeneficial.
Licensingcouldbeameansofidentifyingvessels,find­
ingoutaboutfishinglevelsandevenensuringthatrules
arecompliedwith.
12.However,withaviewtomaintainingstabilityin
thesectorandbecausethelicencescoverashared
resource,itmustbemadeclear,asadvocatedbythe
ESCi1),thatlicencesmaynotbetransferable .
13.Reductioninfleetcapacitieswithaviewto
achievingabetterbalancebetweenavailablestocksand
fishingeffortswillbereflectedinemploymentand
incomelevelsinthewholefisheriessectorandrelated
activities.
Measuresmustbeprovidedforfinancialcompensation
foraffectedsectorssoastoensurethatthefisheries
sectorisviable.
HOJNoC223,31.8.1992,p.30. (2)SEC(91)2288final.
DoneatBrussels,24November1992.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN