Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) of ... December 1998 allocating for 1999 catch quotas between Member States for vessels fishing in Estonian waters
Date: 1998-11-30
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Estonia, authorised catch, common fisheries policy, fishing area, fishing regulations

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN  COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 30.11.1998 
COM(1998) 685  final 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION  (EC) 

of.... December  1998 

allocating for  1999 catch quotas between Member States 
for vessels fishing in Estonian waters 

(presented by the Commission) 

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

Consultations  between  the  Community  and  Estonia  took  place  in  Tallinn  on  19-20  October 
1998  and  resulted  in  an  Agreed  Record  of  conclusions  defining  a  reciprocal  fisheries 
arrangement for  1999. 

These consultations were held on the basis of the Agreement on Fisheries Relations between the 
European Community and the Republic of Estonia, signed in Brussels on 19 December 1996. 

The fisheries arrangement for  1999 provides for, inter alia, certain catch quotas for Community 
vessels in the Estonian 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 1999 to Community vessels fishing in the Estonian 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. 

Estonia is compensated  for the quotas obtained in its waters by way of a financial contribution of 
ECU  519,000, in accordance with Article 4 of the Agreement  on Fisheries Relations between 
the European Community and the Republic of Estonia. 

£ 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 

/ 99 

of.... December 1998 

allocating for  1999 catch quotas between Member States 
for vessels fishing in Estonian 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 aquaculture1, 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 Estonia2, and in particular Articles 3 and 
6 thereof, the Community  and Estonia have held consultations concerning their mutual fishing 
rights for  1999 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  1999 should  be fixed for  the vessels of the 
other Party; 

Whereas  the  necessary  measures  should  be  taken  to  implement,  for  1999, the  results  of the 
consultations held with Estonia; 

Whereas to ensure efficient  management of the catch possibilities available in Estonian 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 policy3; 

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 847/964, 
were not agreed with Estonia; 

OJ No L 389,31.12.1992, p.  1.  Regulation as last amended by  Regulation (EC) n° 1181/98 (OJ No L 

OJ No L 332, 20.12.1996, p. 16 
OJ No L 261,20.10.1993, p.  1. Regulation as last amended by  Regulation (EC) n° 2205/97 (OJ No L 304, 

1 
164, 9.6.1998, p. 1). 
2 
3 
7.11.1997, p. 1). 
4 

OJNoL  115,9.5.1996, p. 3 

3 

Whereas, for imperative reasons of common interest, this Regulation will apply from 1  January 
1999, 

IIAS ADOPTED TlIIS REGULATION: 

Article 1 

From  1 January  to  31 December  1999 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 Estonia. 

Article 2 

The  financial  contribution  provided  for  in  Article  4  of  the  Agreement  on fisheries relations 
between  the  European  Community  and  the  Republic  of  Estonia  shall  be  set  for  the  period 
referred to in Article 1  at ECU  519,000, payable to an account designated by Estonia. 

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. 

Article 4 

This Regulation shall enter into forcé on the day of its publication in the Official  Journal of the 
European Communities.  It shall apply from  1  January 1999. 

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

Done at Brussels,.... December 1998. 

For the Council 
The President 

9 

ANNEX 

Allocation of Community catch quotas in Estonian waters for 1999 

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

Species 

Cod 

ICES 
division 

111(d) 

Community 
catch quotas 

500 

• 

Herring 

Ill(d) 

3,000 

Salmon 

111(d) 

6,750 

Sprat 

111(d) 

13,000 

' 

I 

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 

1,431 
0 
1,073 
496 

2,626 
2,526 
292 
1,306 

7,560 
0 
2,010 
3,430 

S 

FINANCIAL STATEMENT 

1. 

TITLE: 

Proposal  for  a  Council  Regulation-allocating  for  1999  catch  quotas 
between Member States for vessels fishing in Estonian 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 
Estonian waters; 
supply the Community market; and 
decrease the fishing effort  in Community waters. 

4.2 

Period covered: 

Year 1999 

5. 

CLASSIFICATION OF EXPENDITURE: 

5.1 

DO 

5.2 

CD 

6. 

TYPE OF EXPENDITURE: 

Financial compensation paid for fishing possibilities in Estonian waters. 

7. 

FINANCIAL CONSEQUENCES: 

ECU  519,000 

The  financial  compensation  provided  for  in  Article  4  of  the  Agreement  has  been 
negotiated  on the basis of average landing prices  for  1997 in  Community ports in the 
Baltic Sea. A deduction has been made for estimated fleet exploitation costs for each of 
the species. 

4 

7.1  Method of calculation: 

Quota obtained (in tonnes) 

Weighted  average landing prices 
1997(ECU/tonne) 

Market value (in ECUs) 

Negotiated  (percentage) 
In ECUs 

COD 

1,000' 

1,096 
7 

1,096,000 

25% 
274,000 

SALMON 

HERRING 

SPRAT 

33.75 
(6,750 units) 

3,000 

13,000 

2,397 

166 

100 

80,899 

25% 
20,250 

498,000 

1,300,000 

12.5% 
62,250 

12.5% 
162,500 

1 

500 tons allocated  in Estonia  waters  and 500 tons transferred  to Community  waters 

Total financial compensation (Article 4):  ECU  519,000 
Average price ECU/tonne:  30.47 

8. 

ANTI-FRAUD PROVISIONS: 

The financial contribution granted by the Coftimunity is utilised by Estonia to develop its 
fisheries  sector  in  accordance  with  Article  4  of  the  Agreement.  The  amount  is 
administered by the Estonian Fisheries Fund. 

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  previous 
years,  has  mainly  been  used  by  Estonia  for  the  continued  improvement  of  scientific 
research on fisheries and the training of fisheries managers and control activities. This 
has  entailed  improved  scientific  assessment  and  enforcement  in  the  fishery  zone  of 
Estonia 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. 

Ï 

ISSN 0254-1475 

COM(98) 685 final 

DOCUMENTS 

EN 

03  07  11  14 

Catalogue number  :  CB-CO-98-694-EN-C 

Office  for Official  Publications of the European Communities 

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