Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) allocating for 1998 catch quotas between Member States for vessels fishing in Latvian waters
Date: 1997-12-04
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU Member State, Latvia, catch quota, fishing area, fishing vessel

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels,  04.12.1997 
COM(97) 663  final 

Proposal  for  a 

COUNCIL  REGULATION  (EC) 

allocating for  1998 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 Riga  from  23 to  24  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  Latvia,  signed  in  Brussels  on  19 
December 1996. 

The fisheries arrangement for  1998 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  1998 to Community vessels fishing in the Latvian 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. 

Latvia is compensated for the quotas obtained in its waters by way of a financial contribution of 
ECU 430,300, in accordance with Article 4 of the Agreement on Fisheries Relations between the 
European Community and the Republic of Latvia. 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 

/98 

of.... December 1997 

allocating for  1998 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), 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  ', and in particular Articles 3 and 
6 thereof, the  Community  and  Latvia 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 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  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 Latvia, 

(i) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

OJ No L  389, 31.12.1992, p. 1. Regulation as amended by the 1994 Act of Accession. 
OJNoL 332,20.12.1996, p. 1. 
OJNo L 261,20.10.1993, p. 1. 
OJ No LI 15, 9.5.1996, p. 3. 

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

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: 

Article 1 

From  1 January  to  31  December  1998, 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 430,300, payable to an account designated by Latvia. 

Article 3 

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

Article 4 

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. 

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 

ANNEX 

Allocation of Community catch quotas in Latvian waters for 1998 

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

Spcies 

I 

ÎCES 
division 

•-  * 
' 

Conmutijft$g£& 
catch quollspf; 

^t««aîltéated 
to Member States 

Cod 

Herring 

Salmon 

Sprat 

FINANCIAL STATEMENT 

1. 

TITLE: 

Proposal  for  a  Council  Regulation  allocating  for  1998  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: 

• 

• 
• 

rnaintain and develop the traditional activity of Community fishermen in 
Latvian waters; 
supply the Community market; 
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 Latvian waters. 

7. 

FINANCIAL CONSEQUENCES: 

ECU 430,300 

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) 

1,400 

32,5 

1,200 

6,500 

4É^fflH 

*  SPRAT 

Weighted average landing prices 
1996(ECU/tonne) 

Market value (in ECUs) 

Negotiated (percentage) 
In ECUs 

908 

2,284 

166.81 

84.75 

1,271,200 

25% 
317,800 

74,230 

25% 
18,558 

,i 

' 

200,172 

12.5% 
25,020 

550,875 

12.5% 
68,900 

Total financial compensation (Article 4):  ECU 430,300 
Average price ECU/tonne:  47.11 

ANTI-FRAUD PROVISIONS: 

The financial contribution granted by the Community is utilised by Latvia to finance  the 
Latvian Fish Fund and the development  of 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  1997, 
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. 

Tne 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) 663 final 

DOCUMENTS 

EN 

03  11  14 

Catalogue number  : CB-CO-97-680-EN-C 

ISBN 92-78-28643-5 

Office  for Official  Publications of the European Communities 

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