Proposal for a Council Decision on the conclusion of the Agreement in the form of an exchange of letters concerning the provisional application of the Protocol setting out the fishing opportunities and financial contribution provided for in the Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Islamic Federal Republic of the Comoros on fishing off the Comoros for the period from 28 February 1998 to 27 February 2001
Date: 1998-05-06
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Comoros, catch area, financial compensation of an agreement, fishing agreement, fishing licence

C  245/12

EN

Official  Journal  of  the  European  Communities

5.8.98

II

(Preparatory  Acts)

COMMISSION

Proposal  for  a  Council  Decision  on  the  conclusion  of  the  Agreement  in  the  form  of  an  exchange
of  letters  concerning  the  provisional  application  of  the  Protocol  setting  out  the  fishing  oppor(cid:220)
tunities  and  financial  contribution  provided  for  in  the  Agreement  between  the  European
Economic  Community  and  the  Islamic  Federal  Republic  of  the  Comoros  on  fishing  off  the
Comoros  for  the  period  from  28  February  1998  to  27  February  2001

(98/C  245/05)
COM(1998)  264  final  -  98/0144(CNS)

(Submitted  by  the  Commission  on  7  May  1998)

THE  COUNCIL  OF  THE  EUROPEAN  UNION,

HAS  DECIDED  AS  FOLLOWS:

Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  establishing  the  European
Community,

Having  regard  to  the  Agreement  between  the  European
Economic  Community  and  the  Islamic  Federal  Republic
of  the  Comoros  on  fishing  off  the  Comoros(cid:216)(˛),  and  in
particular  Article  12  thereof,

Having  regard  to  the  proposal  from  the  Commission,

Whereas,  in  accordance  with  Article  12  of  the  above(cid:220)
mentioned  Agreement,  the  Community  and  the  Islamic
Federal  Republic  of  the  Comoros  held  negotiations  to
determine  amendments  or  additions  to  be  made  to  the
Agreement  at  the  end  of  the  period  of  application  of  the
Protocol  to  the  Agreement;

Whereas,  as  a  result  of  those  negotiations,  a  new
Protocol  was  initialled  on  27  February  1998;

Whereas,  under  that  Protocol,  Community  fishermen
enjoy  fishing  opportunities  in  the  waters  falling  within
the  sovereignty  or  jurisdiction  of  the  Islamic  Federal
Republic  of  the  Comoros  for  the  period  from  28
February  1998  to  27  February  2001;

Whereas  the  new  Protocol  must  come  into  force  as  soon
as  possible  to  enable  Community  vessels  to  resume
initialled  an
fishing;  whereas  both  parties 
Agreement 
letters,
temporarily  applying  the  Protocol  from  28  February
1998;

in  the  form  of  an  exchange  of 

therefore 

Whereas  the  Agreement  in  the  form  of  an  exchange  of
letters  should  be  approved  subject  to  a  definitive  decision
pursuant  to  Article  43  of  the  Treaty;

Whereas  the  method  for  allocating  the  fishing  oppor(cid:220)
tunities  among  the  Member  States  should  be  defined  on
the  basis  of  the  traditional  allocation  of  fishing  oppor(cid:220)
tunities  under  the  fisheries  Agreement,

(˛)(cid:217)OJ  L  137,  2.6.1988,  p.  19.

Article  1

the 

fishing  opportunities  and 

The  Agreement  in  the  form  of  an  exchange  of  letters
concerning  the  provisional  application  of  the  Protocol
setting  out 
financial
contribution  provided  for  in  the  Agreement  between  the
European  Economic  Community  and  the  Islamic  Federal
Republic  of  the  Comoros  on  fishing  off  the  Comoros  for
the  period  from  28  February  1998  to  27  February  2001  is
hereby  approved  on  behalf  of  the  Community.

The  text  of  the  Agreement  in  the  form  of  an  exchange  of
letters  and  the  Protocol  are  attached  to  this  Decision.

Article  2

The  fishing  opportunities  fixed  in  the  Protocol  shall  be
allocated  among  the  Member  States  as  follows:

(a)(cid:217)Tuna  seiners:

Spain:

22  vessels

France:

21  vessels

Italy:

one  vessel

(b) Surface  longliners:

Spain:

13  vessels

Portugal:

three  vessels

If  licence  applications  from  these  Member  States  do  not
cover  all  the  fishing  opportunities  fixed  by  the  Protocol,
licence
the  Commission  may  take 
applications  from  any  other  Member  State.

into  consideration 

Article  3

The  President  of  the  Council  is  hereby  authorised  to
designate  the  persons  empowered  to  sign  the  Agreement
in  order  to  bind  the  Community.