Council Regulation (EC) No 1263/1999 of 21 June 1999 on the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance
Date: 1999-06-21
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: FIFG, aquaculture, fisheries policy

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Official Journal of the European Communities

26.6.1999

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 1263/1999

of 21 June 1999

on the Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community, and in particular Article 37 thereof,

Having
regard
Commission (1),

to

the

proposal

from the

Having regard to the opinion of
Parliament (2),

the European

Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and
Social Committee (3),

(1) Whereas the common fisheries policy supports
the general objectives of Article 33 of the Treaty;
whereas, in particular, Council Regulation (EEC)
No 3760/92 of 20 December 1992 establishing a
Community
and
aquaculture (4), contributes towards achieving a
balance
the
management of resources, on the one hand, and
fishing effort and the
stable and rational
exploitation of those resources, on the other;

conservation

between

fisheries

system

and

for

(2) Whereas structural measures in fisheries and
aquaculture should contribute to the attainment
of the objectives of the common fisheries policy
and those of Article 100 of the Treaty;

(3) Whereas the incorporation of such structural
measures into the operational framework of the
Structural Funds in 1993 improved the synergy
of Community operations and enabled a more
to the
contribution to be made
coherent
strengthening of economic and social cohesion;

(1) OJ C 176, 9.6.1998, p. 44.
(2) Opinion delivered on 6 May 1999 (not yet published in

the Official Journal).

(3) OJ C 407, 28.12.1998, p. 74.
(4) OJ L 389, 31.12.1992, p. 1. Regulation as amended by
Regulation (EC) No 1181/98 (OJ L 164, 9.6.1998, p. 3).

the

institutes

Funds (5)

Structural

review of

(4) Whereas Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999
of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions
a
on
the
comprehensive
operational
arrangements for the structural policies to take
such
from 1 January 2000; whereas
effect
structural measures will form part of the means
and tasks referred to in Article 2 of the said
Regulation; whereas Council Regulation (EEC)
No 2080/93 of 20 July 1993 laying down
provisions for implementing Regulation (EEC)
No 2052/88 as regards the Financial Instrument
for Fisheries Guidance (6) should therefore be
repealed and replaced by a new Regulation
providing in particular for arrangements that
will
ensure a transition which avoids any
interruption of the structural measures,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

The

structural measures

1.
implemented with
Community financial assistance under this Regulation
in the fisheries and aquaculture sector and the industry
processing and marketing their products (hereinafter
referred to as (cid:28)the sector’) shall support the general
objectives of Articles 33 and 100 of the Treaty and the
objectives set out in Regulations (EEC) No 3760/92
and (EC) No 1260/1999.

The

2.
tasks of
paragraph 1 shall be:

the measures

referred to in

(a)

to contribute to achieving a sustainable balance
between fishery resources and their exploitation;

(b)

to strengthen the competitiveness of structures
and the development of economically viable
enterprises in the sector;

(5) See page 1 of this Official Journal.
(6) OJ L 193, 31.7.1993, p. 1.

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(c)

to improve market supply and the value added to
fishery and aquaculture products;

— processing

and marketing

of

fishery

and

aquaculture products,

(d)

to contribute to revitalising areas dependent on
fisheries and aquaculture.

— measures

to find and promote new market

outlets,

3.
Community financial assistance may be granted
for the implementation of measures in support of one
or more of the tasks referred to in paragraph 2, in
accordance with Article 2.

4.
Under the procedure referred to in Article 4, the
Council shall establish the fields of intervention for the
structural actions referred to in paragraph 1 of this
Article.

Article 2

The Financial Instrument for Fisheries Guidance

1.
is hereinafter called the (cid:28)FIFG’.

2. Measures implemented with assistance from the
FIFG in Objective 1 of the Structural Funds shall form
part of the programming of this Objective.

Measures implemented with assistance from the FIFG
to a single
outside Objective 1 shall be subject
programming document
State
concerned.

in each Member

3.
The measures mentioned in paragraph 2 shall
include all structural measures in the sector in the
following areas:

— fleet renewal and modernisation of fishing vessels,

— adjustment of fishing effort,

— joint enterprises,

— small-scale coastal fishing,

— socioeconomic measures,

— protection of marine resources in coastal waters,

— operations by members of the trade,

— temporary

cessation of

activities

and other

financial compensation,

— innovative actions and technical assistance.

According to the procedure laid down in Article 4, the
Council may adapt this list of measures.

4. Member States shall ensure at national level that
fleet restructuring inverventions under the FIFG are
consistent with their obligations under the common
fisheries policy and in particular under the fisheries
multiannual guidance programmes.

5.
In addition, and in accordance with Articles 22
and 23 of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999, the FIFG
shall contribute towards:

(a)

action

innovative
transnational
operations and the establishment of networks for
those operating in the sector and areas dependent
on fisheries and aquaculture;

including

(b)

technical assistance measures.

In accordance with Article 22(2) of Regulation (EC)
No 1260/1999, the field for pilot projects covered by
point (a) of this paragraph is extended by the decision
on the contributions from the Funds to measures that
can be financed under Regulation (EC) No 1261/1999
of 21 June 1999 of the European Parliament and of
the Council on the Regional Development Fund (1),
Regulation (EC) No 1262/1999 of 21 June 1999 of
the European Parliament and of the Council on the
European Social Fund (2) and Council Regulation (EC)
No 1257/1999 of 17 May 1999 on support for rural
European Agricultural
development
and
Guidance
amending and repealing certain Regulations (3)
in
order to implement all the measures envisaged by the
innovative actions concerned.

from the
and Guarantee

(EAGGF)

Fund

— aquaculture,

— fishing port facilities,

(1) See page 43 of this Official Journal.
(2) See page 48 of this Official Journal.
(3) OJ L 160, 26.6.1999, p. 80.

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Article 3

The financial contribution granted to each individual
operation under the measures referred to in Article 1(3)
may not exceed a maximum amount to be determined
in accordance with the procedure referred to in
Article 4.

latest six years and three months after the date the aid
is granted shall be released automatically by the
Commission at the latest six years and nine months
after the date the aid is granted, giving rise to the
repayment of amounts unduly paid, without prejudice
to projects which have been suspended on legal
grounds.

Article 4

Article 6

Without prejudice to Article 5, the Council, acting on
a proposal from the Commission in accordance with
the procedure laid down in Article 37 of the Treaty,
shall adopt, not later than 31 December 1999, the
for
detailed rules and conditions
the Community
financial
structural measures
contribution to the
referred to in Article 2.

Article 5

Council Regulations (EEC) No 4028/86 (1) and
1.
(EEC) No 4042/89 (2) shall continue to apply to
applications for aid submitted before 1 January 1994.

2.
Portions of sums committed as assistance for
projects by the Commission between 1 January 1989
and 31 December 1993 under Regulation (EEC)
No 4028/86 for which no final application for
payment has been submitted to the Commission at the

Regulation (EEC) No 2080/93 is hereby repealed with
effect from 1 January 2000.

References
understood as references to this Regulation.

repealed Regulation shall be

to the

Article 7

transitional

in
arrangements
The
Article 52 of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 shall
apply mutatis mutandis to this Regulation.

provided

for

Article 8

This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day
following its publication in the Official Journal of the
European Communities.

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

Done at Luxembourg, 21 June 1999.

For the Council

The President

G. VERHEUGEN

(1) OJ L 376, 31.12.1986, p. 7. Regulation as last amended

by Regulation (EC) No 2080/93.

(2) OJ L 388, 30.12.1989, p. 1. Regulation as last amended

by Regulation (EC) No 2080/93.