OPINION OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE on the proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) laying down certain monitoring measures applicable to fishing activities carried out in the waters of the Baltic Sea, the Belts and the Sound
Date: 1995-11-22
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: Baltic Sea, authorised catch, catch quota, conservation of fish stocks, fishing controls













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51995AC1313

OPINION OF THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE on the proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) laying down certain monitoring measures applicable to fishing activities carried out in the waters of the Baltic Sea, the Belts and the Sound  


Official Journal C 039 , 12/02/1996 P. 0092 





Opinion on the proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) laying  down certain monitoring measures applicable to fishing activities carried out in the waters of the  Baltic Sea, the Belts and the Sound(96/C 39/16)On 20  October 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 above-mentioned proposal. The Economic and Social Committee decided to appoint Mr Kallio as Rapporteur-General for its  Opinion. At its 330th Plenary Session (meeting of 22  November 1995), the Economic and Social Committee  adopted the following Opinion unanimously. 1. Background1.1. The Council approved the accession of the Community to the Convention  on Fishing and Conservation of the Living Resources in the Baltic Sea by its Decision No   83/414/EEC. 1.2. Under the said Convention, the International Baltic Sea Fishery Commission is competent to  make recommendations on fishing in the Baltic Sea. 1.3. At its twentieth session held in Gdynia from 12 to 16  September 1994, the Baltic Sea Fishery  Commission adopted recommendations which require the EU Commission to lay down certain additional  monitoring measures applicable to fishing in the Baltic Sea. These measures relate to: 1.3.1. the forwarding to the Commission of a list of the Community fishing vessels fishing for  cod; 1.3.2. the monthly notification to the Commission of the landings made by each individual fishing  vessel flying the flag of a Member State or of the other Contracting Parties to the Baltic  Convention; 1.3.3. the ban on the transshipment of cod caught in the Baltic in the absence of monitoring by the  authorities; 1.3.4. the ban on the landing or transshipment of catches taken by vessels flying the flag of  another Contracting Party after the national quota has been used up. 1.4. Council Regulation (EEC) No  2847/93 established a control system applicable to the EU common  fisheries policy. The Council must now take a decision on the new, additional monitoring measures  recommended by the Baltic Sea Commission which will be binding on all EU Member States. 1.5. The Community has a particularly key role to play in controlling Baltic fishing as around 70 %  of Baltic region fishing waters are within the EU. The proposed rules are necessary for the  Community to fulfil its obligations with respect to the Baltic Sea Fishery Commission. 2. General comments2.1. The ESC endorses the general principles of the Council draft  Regulation. 2.2. The ESC notes that the Baltic Sea Commission's recommendations have already been implemented  in practice over the past year. This being the case, the EU's administrative decisions are being  taken after the event. The reason for the delay is simply lack of resources at the EU Commission. 2.3. The Committee feels it is important that the Baltic Sea Commission's recommendations should be  strictly observed not only in EU Member States, but also, of course, in other countries which are  party to the Baltic Sea Convention. 2.4. The Committee has no comment on the scope of the proposed Regulation as set out in Article   1. 2.5. The systematic registration of all vessels fishing for cod (Articles 2 and 3) and the constant  updating of the register will give the contracting parties a real ability to monitor and control  fishing. Using this system the Baltic Sea Commission and the states which it represents will now be  able to monitor fishing. To achieve this aim, the authorities in the Convention states must have  sufficient resources to carry out monitoring. 2.6. The Committee broadly endorses the arrangements for landing declarations set out in Articles 4  and 5. However, the ESC acknowledges that some of the countries concerned may have difficulty  implementing the provision whereby they are required to notify the Commission of landings in  respect of each vessel. The Commission should bear this in mind. 2.7. The ESC feels it is important to continue with the current reporting procedure with regard to  information on the vessels referred to in Article  5 to ensure a rapid and effective flow of  information on the landings of another country's vessel. 2.8. The Committee welcomes the obligation laid down in Article  6 to inform the authorities of any  transshipment. This will prevent illegal fishing carried out by transferring catches to a  neighbouring country's ships. 2.9. The ESC approves and recognizes the need for the proposed ban on landings or transshipments of  catches once quotas have been used up. 2.10. The ESC is particularly interested in the principles behind the division of responsibilities  in the present Regulation. It is particularly important that the EU Commission's obligations and  those of the Baltic Convention are fulfilled exactly and fairly. At the same time the Committee  would emphasize the national responsibility of Member States to carry out their monitoring duties  to the full. 3. Specific comments3.1. The Committee suggests changing Article  5(1) to read as follows: ' ... shall notify the Baltic Sea Fishery Commission, the EC Commission and the relevant  Contracting Party of the Baltic Convention on Fishing, by the fifteenth of each month in respect of  the previous month's catches and ...'. Done at Brussels, 22  November 1995. The Presidentof the Economic and Social CommitteeCarlos FERRER