Proposal for a Council Decision relating to the acceptance, by the European Community of the amendment to the Agreement of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean establishing an autonomous budget for that Organisation
Date: 1998-12-02
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Mediterranean Sea, accession to an agreement, agreement (EU), budget, fishery management

20.1.1999

EN

Official  Journal  of  the  European  Communities

C  15/13

Proposal  for  a  Council  Decision  relating  to  the  acceptance,  by  the  European  Community  of  the
amendment  to  the  Agreement  of  the  General  Fisheries  Commission  for  the  Mediterranean
establishing  an  autonomous  budget  for  that  Organisation

(1999/C  15/05)

COM(1998)  690  final  -  98/0332(CNS)

(Submitted  by  the  Commission  on  2  December  1998)

the  amendments 

Whereas  GFCM  adopted,  at  its  meeting  of  13  to  16
the
October  1997 
agreement  to  the  effect  of  instituting  the  autonomous
budget.  Whereas  the  autonomous  budget  represents  a
new  obligation  to  GFCM  contracting  parties  in  the  sense
of  Article  X.2  of  the  GFCM  Agreement;

text  of 

the 

to 

Whereas  new  obligations  can  only  enter  into  force  upon
adoption  by  two  thirds  of  GFCM  members;  and  with
respect  to  each  member,  only  on  acceptance  by  that
member;

Whereas  it  is  therefore  necessary  that  the  Community
adopts  an  instrument  of  acceptance  of  the  autonomous
budget  of  GFCM,

Whereas  the  acceptance  of  an  autonomous  budget  for
GFCM 
implies  that  the  Community  will  provide  a
the
financial  contribution 
volume  of  this  contribution  makes  it  necessary  to  adapt
the  declaration  of  competence  and  voting 
rights
deposited  at  the  time  of  the  accession  of  the  Community
to  GFCM,

that  budget;  whereas 

to 

DECIDES:

Sole  article

The  Community  shall  accept  the  establishment  of  an
autonomous  budget  in  the  General  Fisheries  Commission
for 
the
its
instrument 
declaration  of  competence  and  voting  rights  accordingly.

in  accordance  with 
amend 
and 
annex, 

the  Mediterranean, 
in 

contained 

THE  COUNCIL  OF  THE  EUROPEAN  UNION,

Having  regard  to  the  Treaty  establishing  the  European
Community,  and 
in
conjunction  with  Article  228,  paragraph  2,  first  sentence
and  paragraph  3,  first  subparagraph,

in  particular  Article  43  thereof 

Having  regard  to  the  proposal  from  the  Commission,

Having 
Parliament,

regard 

to 

the  opinion  of 

the  European

Whereas  the  European  Community  is  a  member  of  the
General  Fisheries  Commission  for  the  Mediterranean
(GFCM)(cid:216)(˛);

Whereas  the  management  of  fish  stocks  in  the  Mediter(cid:220)
ranean  requires  that  action  be  taken  at  multilateral  level
to  regulate  the  fishing  activities  in  the  high  seas;  whereas
the  development  of  aquaculture  can  benefit  from  multi(cid:220)
lateral  co(cid:220)operation;  whereas  the  GFCM  is  the  appro(cid:220)
priate  framework  for  these  actions;

Whereas  GFCM  has  recently  adopted  amendments  to
its  activities  by  creating  a
the  effect  of  reinforcing 
scientific  advisory  committee  and  by  making  the  peri(cid:220)
the  new
odicity  of 
the  meetings  annual;  whereas 
activities  of 
the  necessary
financial  means;

this  organisation  require 

Whereas  GFCM  depends  entirely  on  the  budget  of  the
Food  and  Agriculture  Organisation  (FAO);  whereas  the
limitations  in  this  budget  do  not  allow  to  finance  the
activities  of  GFCM  which  are  necessary  to  accomplish  its
new,  reinforced  role;  whereas  it  is  therefore  necessary
that  GFCM  disposes  of  its  own  autonomous  budget;

(˛)(cid:217)Council  Decision  (98/416/EC)  of  16  June  1998  on  the
accession  of  the  European  Community  to  the  General
Fisheries  Commission  for  the  Mediterranean  (OJ  L  190,
4.7.1998,  p.  34).

C  15/14

EN

Official  Journal  of  the  European  Communities

20.1.1999

ANNEX

Instrument  of  acceptation  of  the  autonomous  budget  of  the  General  Fisheries  Commission  for  the
Mediterranean

Sir,

I  have  the  honour  to  inform  you  that  the  European  Community  has  decided  to  accept  the  newly  estab(cid:220)
lished  rules  for  the  autonomous  budget  of  the  General  Fisheries  Commission  for  the  Mediterranean.  I
therefore  convey  to  you  this  instrument  by  which  the  Community  accepts  the  new  Article  VIII  bis  and  IX
bis  as  well  as  the  amendments  to  Articles  II,  VII  and  IX  of  the  Agreement  as  adopted  at  the  meeting  of  13
to  16  October  1997,  in  accordance  with  Article  X.2  thereof.

As  the  Community  will  become,  after  the  entry  into  force  of  the  said  amendments,  a  major  contributor  to
the  budget,  the  actual  declaration  of  competence  and  voting  rights  annexed  to  the  instrument  of  accession
of  the  European  Community  to  GFCM  will  be  replaced  as  from  that  date  on  by  the  declaration  of
competence  and  voting  rights  annexed  to  this  letter.

I  have  the  honour  to  be,  Sir,  yours  faithfully,

Mister  Diouf
Director  General
Food  and  Agriculture  Organisation  of  the  United  Nations
Via  delle  Terme  di  Caracalla
I(cid:220)00100  Roma

President  of  the  Council
of  the  European  Union