Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) allocating for 1997 catch quotas between Member States for vessels fishing in Latvian waters
Date: 1996-12-12
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, Latvia, catch quota, fishing area, fishing vessel

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES 

Brussels,  12.12.1996 
COM(96) 660 final 

Proposal  for  a 

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) 

allocating for  1997 catch quotas between Member States 
for vessels fishing  in Latvian waters 

(presented  by the Commission) 

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

Consultations  between  the  Community  and  Latvia  took  place  in  Brussels  from  7  to  8 
November  1996 and resulted in an agreement defining  a reciprocal fisheries arrangement  for 
1997. 

These  consultations  were  held  on  the  basis  of  the  new  framework  Agreement  on  Fisheries 
Relations  between  the  European  Community  and  the  Republic  of  Latvia,  concluded  on  .... 
This new Agreement, on the date of its entry into force, replaces the previous 
fisheries  agreements  concluded  with  Latvia  by  the  Community,  as  constituted  before 
enlargement,  and by Sweden and Finland  respectively. 

Taking  into  account  that  the  annual  consultations  occurred  prior  to  the  ratification  of  the 
Agreement on Fisheries Relations being terminated, the fisheries arrangement agreed for  1997 
will  only  be implemented  from  the date of its entry into  force. 

The  fisheries  arrangement  for  1997  provides  for,  inter  alia,  certain  catch  quotas  for 
Community  vessels in the Latvian fishing zone in the framework  of the exchange of fishing 
possibilities  and  reciprocal  access quotas. 

The purpose of this proposal  for a regulation  is to allocate among  Member  States the quotas 
available in 1997 to Community vessels fishing in the Latvian zone under the above mentioned 
arrangement. 

The fisheries arrangement  agreed  with  Latvia  for  1997 has been  negotiated  on  behalf of  the 
enlarged  Community. The fishing possibilities  now obtained  by the enlarged  Community  are 
distributed  among Member  States on the basis of the traditional fishing pattern  in the Baltic 
Sea before the entry into force of the new Agreement, when Denmark, Finland, Germany and 
Sweden were the only Member States with fishing rights in the region. Therefore,'the  fishing 
possibilities  cannot  be  considered  as  "new"  in  the  sense  of  Article  8 of  Regulation  (EEC) 
No 3760/92, as they result  from  the amalgamation  of the existing fishing possibilities under 
the  previous  fisheries  agreements  concluded  with  Latvia  by  the  Community,  as  constituted 
before  enlargement,  and by  Sweden and Finland  respectively. 

As a consequence of  the Act  of Accession of  Austria, Finland  and  Sweden to the  European 
Union,  in particular  Article  121, paragraph  1, footnote  9 of the  table, Member  States  of the 
Community,  as constituted  before  enlargement,  have been compensated  for  their  lower share 
of the cod  stock  up to the  level  required  by the Council  Declaration. 

Latvia is compensated for the quotas obtained in its waters by way of a financial  contribution 
of  ECU  534,300,  in  accordance  with  Article  4  of  the  Agreement  on  Fisheries  Relations 
between  the  European  Community  and  the Republic  of Latvia. 

I 

Proposal  for  a 

COUNCIL REGULATION  (EC) No 

of .... 

allocating  for  1997 catch  quotas  between  Member States 
for vessels fishing  in Latvian  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 aquaculture*1}, 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,  in  accordance  with  the  procedure  provided  for  in  the  Agreement  on  Fisheries 
Relations  between  the European  Community  and the Republic  of  Latvia(2), concluded  on  .... 
,  and  in particular  Articles  3 and 6 thereof, the Community  and Latvia have 
held  consultations  concerning  their  mutual  fishing  rights  for  1997  and  the  management  of 
common  living resources; 

Whereas,  in the  course of these  consultations, the  delegations  agreed  to  recommend  to  their 
respective  authorities that certain catch quotas for  1997 should be fixed for  the vessels of the 
other  Party; 

Whereas  the necessary  measures should  be  taken  to  implement,  for  1997,  the  results  of the 
consultations  held  with  Latvia; 

Whereas to ensure efficient  management of the catch possibilities available in Latvian waters, 
quotas  should  be  allocated  among  Member  States  in  accordance  with  Article  8 of  Council 
Regulation  (EEC) No 3760/92; 

Whereas the  fishing  activities covered  by this Regulation  are subject  to the control  measures 
provided  for  by  Council  Regulation  (EEC)  No  2847/93  of  12 October  1993  establishing  a 
control  system  applicable  to the common  fisheries  policy(3); 

Whereas  additional  conditions  for  the  year-to-year  management  of  TACs  and  quotas,  in 
accordance  with  the  provisions  laid  down  in  Article  2  of  Council  Regulation  (EC) 
No  847/96(4), were not  agreed  with Latvia, 

(i) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

OJNoL  389, 31.12.1992,  p. 1. 
OJNoC  276, 21.9.1996,  p. 8. 
OJ No L 261, 20.10.1993, p. 1. 
OJ No  L  115, 9.5.1996,  p. 3. 

3 

HAS  ADOPTED  THIS  KIXHJLATION: 

Article  1 

From  1 January  to  31  December  1997  vessels  flying  the  flag  of  a  Member  State  are  hereby 
authorised to make catches within the quota limits set out in the Annex in waters falling  within 
the  fisheries  jurisdiction  of  Latvia. 

Article  2 

The  financial  contribution  provided  for  in  Article  4  of  the  Agreement  on  Fisheries  Relations 
between  the  European  Community  and  the  Republic  of  Latvia  shall  be  set  for  the  period 
referred  to  in  Article  1 at  ECU  534,300,  payable  to  an  account  designated  by  Latvia. 

Article  3 

Stocks  referred  to  in  the  Annex  shall  not  be  subject  to  the  conditions  stipulated  in  Articles  2, 
3  and  5  (2)  of  Council  Regulation  (EC)  No  847/96. 

This  Regulation  shall  enter  into  force  on  1 January  1997. 

Article  4 

This  Regulation  shall  be  binding  in  its entirety  and  directly  applicable  in  all  Member 
Slates. 

Done  at  Brussels, 

For  the  Council 
The  President 

4-

ANNEX 

Allocation  of  Community  catch  quotas  in  Latvian  waters  for  1997 

(in  metric  tonnes,  fresh  round  weight;  for  salmon:  numbers  of  individual  fish) 

Species 

Cod 

ICES 
division 

Hid 

,073 

Community 
catch  quotas 

Quotas  allocated 
to  Member  States 

Icrrmg 

lid 

1,200 

Salmon 

Hid 

6,000(,) 

Sprat 

Hid 

19,500 

( i) 

Number  of  individual  fish. 

Denmark 
Finland 
Germany 
Sweden 

Denmark 
Finland 
( icrmany 
Sweden 

Denmark 
Finland 
Germany 
Sweden 

Denmark 
Finland 
Germany 
Sweden 

(480) 
(25) 
(210) 
(358) 

(300) 
(150) 
(230) 
(520) 

(1,625)(,) 
(2,025)(,) 
(180)(l) 
(2,170)(1) 

(6,170) 
(2,500) 
( 1,640) 
(9,190) 

FINANCIAL  STATEMENT 

1. 

TITLE: 

Proposal  for  a  Council  Regulation  allocating  for  1997  catch  quotas 
between Member  States for  vessels fishing in Latvian 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  objectives: 

• 

• 
• 

maintain  and develop the traditional  activity  of Community  fishermen 
in Latvian waters; 
supply the Community market; and 
decrease the fishing effort  in Community waters. 

4.2 

Period  covered: 

Year  1997 

5. 

CLASSIFICATION  OF EXPENDITURE: 

5.1*-  DO 

5.2  CD 

6. 

TYPE OF EXPENDITURE: 

Financial  compensation paid for fishing possibilities in Latvian waters. 

7. 

FINANCIAL  CONSEQUENCES: 

ECU  534,300 

The  financial  compensation  provided  for  in  Article  4  of  the  Agreement  has  been 
negotiated  on the basis of average landing prices for  1995 in Community  ports in the 
Baltic Sea. A deduction  has been made for estimated fleet exploitation  costs for each 
of the species. 

7.1  Method  of  calculation: 

COD 

SALMON 

HERRING 

SPRAT 

Quota  obtained  (in  tonnes) 

1,200 

30 
(6,000  units) 

1,200 

19,500 

Weighted  average  landing  prices 
1995  (ECU/tonne) 

Market  value  (in  ECUs) 

Negotiated  (percentage) 
In  ECUs 

967 

1,160,400 

25% 
290,100 

2,906 

87,180 

25% 
21,795 

152.74 

81.83 

183,288 

1,595,685 

12.5% 
22,908 

12.5% 
199,485 

Total  financial  compensation  (Article  4):  ECU  534,300 
Average price ECU/tonne:  24.36 

ANTI-FRAUD  PROVISIONS: 

The financial  contribution  granted by the Community  is utilised  by Latvia to develop 
bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the field of fisheries in accordance with Article 
4  of the  Agreement.  The amount  is administered  by the National  Board  of  Fisheries 
of the Ministry  of Agriculture  of the Republic of  Latvia. 

ELEMENTS  OF COST/BENEFIT ANALYSIS: 

The  Community  fleet  in the Baltic  Sea  has  been  severely  hit  by  reductions  in  catch 
possibilities, mainly due to biological  factors  (low salinity  of the water  and the M-74 
disease) and pollution of the water. Any increase in fishing  possibilities above current 
critical  catch  levels  will  contribute  towards  preventing  the  fleet,  and  connected 
industries and services ashore, from  collapsing and disappearing. This will also avoid, 
to a certain  extent,  payments under  lay-up  schemes or  social  programmes 

Experience has taught us that the financial  compensation,  similar to that paid  in  1996, 
has mainly  been  used by Latvia for  the continued  improvement  of scientific  research 
on  fisheries  and  the  training  of  fisheries  managers.  This  has  entailed  improved 
scientific assessment and enforcement in the fishery zone of Latvia and has contributed 
to  a  more  rational  exploitation  of  the  stocks,  to  the  benefit  of  all  concerned  in  the 
Baltic  Sea. 

The  expenses  proposed  are  foreseen  in  the  budgetary  planning  for  the  period 
concerned. 

10. 

ADMINISTRATIVE  EXPENSES: 

The proposal does not require new Commission staff or additional administrative costs. 

ISSN 0254-1475 

COM(96) 660  final 

DOCUMENTS 

EN 

03  11  01 

Catalogue  number  :  CB-CO-96-672-EN-C 

ISBN  92-78-13320-5 

Office  for Official  Publications of the European Communities 

1 ,-2985 1 Luxembourg