Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) allocating, for 1998, catch quotas between Member States for vessels fishing in Lithuanian waters
Date: 1997-12-04
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Lithuania, authorised catch, catch quota, fishing area, fishing rights

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels,  04.12.1997 
COM(97)655  final 

Proposal  for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION  ŒO 

allocating, for 1998, catch quotas between Member States 
for vessels fishing in Lithuanian waters 

(presented by the Commission) 

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

Consultations  between the Community and Lithuania took place  in Brussels from 15 to  16 October 
1997 and resulted in an Agreed Record of Conclusions defining a reciprocal fisheries arrangement for 
1998. 

These consultations were held on the basis of the new Agreement on Fisheries Relations between the 
European Community and the Republic of Lithuania, signed in Brussels on 20 December 1996. 

The  fisheries  arrangement  for  1998  provides,  inter alia, for  certain  catch  quotas  for  Community 
vessels  in the Lithuanian  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 1998 to Community vessels fishing in the Lithuanian zone under the above mentioned arrangement. 

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. 

Lithuania  is compensated  for  the quotas obtained  in its waters by way of a financial  contribution  of 
ECU  563,510,  in  accordance  with  Article  4  of  the  Agreement  on  Fisheries  Relations  between  the 
European Community and the Republic of Lithuania. 

L 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 

/98 

of.... December 1997 

allocating, for 1998, catch quotas between Member States 
for vessels fishing in Lithuanian 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  , and in particular Article 8 (4) thereof, 

I laving 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 Lithuania  , and in particular Articles 3 mid 6 
thereof, the Community  and  Lithuania have held consultations concerning their mutual fishing rights 
for  1998 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  1998 should be fixed for the vessels of the other Party; 

Whereas  the  necessary  measures  should  be  taken  to  implement,  for  1998,  the  results  of  the 
consultations held with Lithuania; 

Whereas to ensure efficient  management of the catch possibilities available in Lithuanian waters, the 
quotas  should  be  allocated  among  the  Member  States  in  accordance  with  Article  8  of  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  ; 

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 Lithuania; 

Whereas, for imperative reasons of common interest, this Regulation will apply from 1  January 1998; 

{1) 
OJ No L 389, 31.12.1992, p. 1.  Regulation as amended by the 1994 Act of Accession 
(2) 
OJ No L 332, 20.12.1996, p.6. 
(3)  •  OJ No L261,  20.10.1993, p. 1. 
(4) 

OJ No L  115, 9.5.1996,  p. 3. 

3 

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 

Article 1 

From  1  January to 31 December  1998 vessels flying the flag of a Member State are hereby authorized 
to  make  catches  within  the  quota  limits  set  out  in the  Annex  in  waters  falling  within  the fisheries 
jurisdiction of Lithuania. 

Article 2 

The financial  contribution provided for in Article 4 of the Agreement on Fisheries Relations between 
the  European  Community  and  the  Republic  of  Lithuania  shall  be  set  for  the  period  referred  to  in 
Article  1  at ECU 563,510, payable to an account designated by Lithuania. 

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. 

Article 3 

This  Regulation  shall  enter  into  force  on  the  day  of  its  publication  in  the  Official  Journal  of  the 
European Communities. It shall apply from  1  January 1998. 

Article 4 

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

Done at Brussels,.... December 1997. 

For the Council 
The President 

V 

ANNEX 

Allocation of Community catch quotas in Lithuanian waters for 1998 

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

Species 

Cod 

ICES 
division 

IH(d) 

Community 
catch quotas 

500 

Herring 

111(d) 

2 000 

Salmon 

111(d) 

4 100 

Sprat 

111(d) 

16 000 

Quotas allocated 
to Member States 

Denmark 
Finland 
Germany 
Sweden 

Denmark 
Finland 
Germany 
Sweden 

Denmark 
Finland 
Germany 
Sweden 

Denmark 
Finland 
Germany 
Sweden 

186 
80 
84 
150 

954 
0 
716 
330 

1595 
1534 
177 
794 

9305 
0 
2475 
4220 

S 

FINANCIAL STATEMENT 

1. 

TITLE: 

Proposal  for  a  Council  Regulation  allocating  for  1998  catch  quotas  between 
Member States for vessels fishing in Lithuanian 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 
Lithuanian waters; 
supply the Community market; and 
decrease the fishing effort  in Community waters. 

4.2 

Period covered: 

Year 1998 

5. 

CLASSIFICATION OF EXPENDITURE: 

5.1 

DO 

5.2 

CD 

6. 

TYPE OF EXPENDITURE: 

Financial compensation paid for fishing possibilities in Lithuanian waters. 

7. 

FINANCIAL CONSEQUENCES: 

ECU 563,510 

The financial compensation provided for in Article 4 of the Agreement has been negotiated on 
the basis of average landing prices for  1996 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: 

Quota obtained (in tonnes) 

Weighted average landing prices 
1996(ECU/tonne) 

Market value (in ECUs) 

Negotiated (percentage) 
In ECUs 

COD 

1,500 

SALMON 

HERRING 

20.5 
(4,100 units) 

2,000 

SPRAT 

16,000 

908 

2,284 

166.81 

84.75 

1,362,000 

25% 
340,500 

46,822 

25% 
11,710 

333,620 

12.5% 
41,700 

1,356,000 

12.5% 
169,600 

Total financial  compensation (Article 4):  ECU 563,510 
Average price ECU/tonne:  28.87 

ANTI-FRAUD PROVISIONS: 

The  financial  contribution  granted  by the  Community  is utilised  by  Lithuania  to  develop  its 
fisheries  sector in accordance with Article 4 of the Agreement. The amount is administered by 
the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of the Republic of Lithuania. 

9. 

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  1997,  has 
mainly  been  used  by  Lithuania  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 Lithuania  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(97) 655 final 

DOCUMENTS 

EN 

03  11  14 

Catalogue number  :  CB-CO-97-670-EN-C 

ISBN 92-78-28467-X 

Office  for Official  Publications of the European  Communities 

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