Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION (EEC) amending Regulation (EEC) No 3687/91 on the common organization of the market in fishery products and amending Regulation (EEC) No 2658/87 on the tariff and statistical nomenclature and on the Common Customs Tariff
Date: 1992-05-22
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: common customs tariff, fish product, protein products, tariff nomenclature

COMMISSION  OF  THE  EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES 

COM(92) 213  final 

Brussels, 22  May  1992 

Proposal  for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION  (EEC) 

amending  Regulation  (EEC) No 3687/91 on the common  organization 

of the market  in fishery  products and amending  Regulation 

(EEC) No 2658/87 on the tariff  and statistical  nomenclature 

and on the Common  Customs  Tariff 

(presented by the Commission) 

EXPLANATORY  MEMORANDUM 

Surimi  is  a  protein  gel  made  out  of  minced  meat  from  fish  with  a  low 

content  of  fat.  Its main  characteristics  -  a  lack  of  taste, odour  and 

colour  -  makes  it  extremely  suitable  for  the  production  of  seafood 

analogues  -  with  the  correct  use  of  additional  ingredients  these 

preparations  of  surimi  replaces  a  large  number  of  seafoods  in  short 

supply. 

The  demand  for  surimi  and  preparations  of  surimi  has  in  the  recent 

years  been  steadily  increasing  in  the  Community.  The  Community's  own 

processing  industry  has  not  yet  succeeded  in  producing  a  suitable 

surimi  as  raw  material,  but  certain  companies  in  the  EEC  have  started 

up production  of preparations  of  surimi. 

Information  obtained  from  the  industry  and  the  traders  indicate  that 

the  Community  now  has  become  a  major  net-importer  of  these  products. 

However,  as  neither  surimi  nor  preparations  of  surimi  have  separate 

positions  in  the  Combined  Nomenclature,  the  Commission  is  unable  to 

evaluate the trade  and the development  in the market  prices.  This  lack 

of  information makes  it  impossible  to make  the  two  products  separately 

subject  to the rules of the Common  Fisheries  Policy. 

The  present  proposal  aims  at  a  separate  inclusion  of  surimi  and 

preparations  of  surimi  in  the  CFP,  by  creating  specific  positions  for 

these products  in the relevant part of the Combined  Nomenclature,  which 

is  annexed  to  R  3687/91  on  the  common  organization  of  the  market  in 

fishery products. 

(PH/REQ/surimi/ex.en- fn) 

COUNCIL  REGULATION  (EEC) No 

/92 

of 

amending  Regulation  (EEC) No  3687/91  on  the  common  organization 

of the market  in  fishery  products  and  amending  Regulation 

(EEC) No  2658/87  on the tariff  and  statistical  nomenclature 

and on the  Common  Customs  Tariff 

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES, 

Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  establishing  the  European  Economic 

Community,  and  in particular  Article  43  thereof. 

Having  regard  to the proposal  from  the Comroission(^), 

Having regard  to the opinion  of the European  Parliament(^)r 

Having  regard  to the opinion  of the Economic  and  Social  Committee(^), 

Whereas  the  Community  demand  for  and  imports  of  surimi,  which  is  a 

washed  and  stabilised  protein  gel  made  from  minced  fish,  and 

preparations  of surimi, which  are destined  for direct  consumption,  have 

been  steadily  increasing  during  recent  years; 

Whereas  the  Community  production  of  surimi  and  preparations  of  surimi 

has grown  in  importance  concurrently  with  international  trends; 

Whereas  experience  has shown  that  although  several  different  species  of 

fish  with  a  low  fat  content  may  be  used  as  raw  material  for  the 

production  of  surimi,  a  specific  identification  of  the  raw  material 

used  is  not  easily  feasible  due  to  the  final  specifications  of  surimi 

and preparations  of  surimi; 

Whereas  at  present  neither  surimi  nor  preparations  of  surimi  are 

separately  identified  as  products  subject  to  the  rules  of  the  common 

fisheries  policy  in  Council  Regulation  (EEC)  No  3687/91  of  28  November 

1991 on the common  organization  of  the market  in  fishery  products^4); 

(1) OJ  No C 
(2) OJ  No C 
(3) OJ No C 
(4) OJ  No. L  354,  23.12-1991, p. 1 

(PH/REG/sur  i/en-  fn) 

-  2 -

Whereas,  for that  reason, the Community  is not  able to monitor  trade  in 

these  products  or  the  trend  in  market  prices;  whereas  therefore  that 

Regulation  should  be  amended  so as to  include these products; 

Whereas  the  tariff  nomenclature  resulting  from  the  application  of 

Regulation  (EEC) No  3687/91  is included  in the Common Customs Tariff; 

whereas  consequently  an  amendment  should  be made  to  the  Common  Customs 

Tariff  adopted  by  Council  Regulation  (EEC)  No  2658/87<5),  as  last 

amended  by Regulation  (EEC) No 

(6)# 

HAS ADOPTED  THIS  REGULATION: 

Article  1 

Annex  VII  to  Regulation  (EEC)  No  3687/91  is  hereby  amended  in 

accordance with the Annex  hereto. 

Article  2 

Annex  I to  Regulation  (EEC) No  2658/87  is  hereby  amended  in  accordance 

with  the Annex  hereto. 

Article  3 

This Regulation  shall  enter  into  force on  1 January  1993. 

This  Regulation  shall  be  binding  in  its  entirety  and  directly 

applicable  in all Member  States. 

Done at Brussels, 

For the  Council 

( 5)  OJ  No  L  2 5 6,  7 . 9 . 1 9 8 7,  p. 
( 6)  OJ  No  L 

(PH/REG/stri/en-fn) 

Subheadings  0304 90 and  1604  20 are  replaced  by  the  following 

ANNEX 

CNoxfc 

Description 

0304 90 

-  Otherr 

030»»  90 05 

s u r i ni 

o t h er 

: 

0304 9010 

-  Of  frwnwarer  fish 

-  Other: 

Of  hniiog  (Ctupea  barengus.  Chtpaa  palLsë): 

0304 90 21 

0304 90 25 

0304 90 31 

-  —  —  R om  15 Fcbnxary to  15 Jutie 

- 

From  16  Jane  to  14  Fcbruaiy 

-  —  Of  rcdfish (Setxnrn 

spp.) 

0304  90  35 

0304 90  38 

i 
i 
ï— 
i. 
} —• 
i 

0304  90 39 

j H-

0304  90  41 

0304  90  45 

—  Of oad (Gàdusmorbue.  Gadus  ogac,  Gadus  macrocephclus)  and of  fish 

of  the species Boreogadus  solda: 

—  —  Of  cod of  the species Gadus  macrocep.iatus 

—  —  —  O f c o d o f t hc  spedes Gadus  morbua 

—  —  —  Other 

—  —  Of  rpalfKh  (PoUachius  virera) 

—  —  Of  haddock  (Mclanogramœus  aegUfimes) 

—  —  Of hake  (Mahtcàus 

spp.,  Uropbycis  spp.)-. 

0304  90 47 

i 

—  —  —  Of  hakc of  the  genuî  ÏAeriucdus 

0304  90  49 

0304  90  51 

0304  90 SS 

0304  90  57 

0304  90  $9 

0304  90  61 

0304  90  65 

0304  90  9 ù 

—  —  —  Of  hakc of  the genus  Uropbycis 

Of  megrim  (Lepidorbombus 

spp.) 

—  —  Of  Ray*s bream  (Brama  spp.) 

—  —  Of  monkfiîh  (Laphius  spp.) 

Of  blue whiâag  (Microrr^sistius  pouîassou  Or  Gcdur  poutassou) 

Of  Alaska  pollack  (TheTTcgn:  chclcogra.nma) 

—  —  Of  swordfish  (Xîphias  gladîus) 

Other 

Raccof ouvy 

eoaweDrioaal 

Suppleraentary 
unir 

(%) 
or 
levy 
(AGR) 

15 

15 

Frce 

20  <>) 

15 

Frec 

15  (»)  (•) 

8 

15 

15 

1S 

15 

15 

15 

15 

15 

15 

15 

15 

15 

15 

15 

15 

12  « 

15  (*) 

15 

15 

15  («) 

15 

15 

15 

15 

15 

15 

15 

15 

(')  Sabjccr to  coœplwna: with^be refetxnee  pric=.  A  counceraHing  w 
(*}  ^ ï ï f ^ ^ T ^ ^1^  ^ffii* w f e h m s t A ^ d i n ss  0302  40  9 0 . 0 3 03  50  90. 03(K  J 0  9 3, 0504  10 98  «d  03<K  90  25  wr*m  the Umte of  a global  a c n oJ 

is pzov  deà  for  fa  tac c^c  of  non-coapluir.ee  w*u> the  n^otnec  p n o. 

c m»  qooea oT 3A 000  tonnes to  be Bnmocd by tbc  compercat  CommonJcy -ntkonries i td  subject TO c o m p l i ce  wiA  àx  rcfcrencr  price. 

{*)  SobjeCE to lîrntn  iad  conditions  to  be dctexzaincd  by  tbc coaipctcot  »odjorii jet. 

axmual  eanff  qnoca  of  2 0 00  tonnes  to be sramed by  dvc cnnipetccr Convaioicy  «utLoaries. 

CN  oodir 

1 

Description 

2 

1604  20 

—  Other  prepared  or preserved  fish: 

Race o 

f doty 

• auconotnous 
(%) 

levy 
(AGRJ 

3 

cue vcorio naJ 
(%) 

SupplemcntAry 
unit 

4 

5 

160«t  20  05 

_ 

P r e p a r a t i o ns  of 

s u r i mi 

25 

20 

—  —  O t h er 

: 

1604 20  10 

—  —  —  Of  salmon 

1604 20  30 

'—  —  —. Of  Salmboidae,  other  d un  salmon 

1604  20  40 

—  : —  —  Of  anchovies 

1604  20  50 

—  —  —  Of  sardines,  boniro.  markrrH  of  the  Spirit?.  Scomber  icombrus  and 
Scotttber  japOTuats.  .fish of  the species  Crrcyncr.ysis urdcolor 

1604 20  70 

—  —  —  Of  tunas, skipjack  or  other  fish  of  the genus L'uthynnus 

1604 20  SO 

_ 

Of  other  fish 

20 

20 

25 

25 

25 

25 

SJ 

7 

— 

25 

24 

20 

— 

— 

— 

— 

— 
— 

— 

ISSN 0254-1475 

COM(92) 213 final 

DOCUMENTS 

EN 

03  02 

Catalogue number: CB-CO-92-226-EN-C 

ISBN 92-77-44339-1 

Office for Official Publications of the European Communities 
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