1999/478/EC: Commission Decision of 14 July 1999 renewing the Advisory Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture (notified under document number C(1999) 2042)
Date: 1999-07-14
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: advisory committee (EU), appointment of members, aquaculture, common fisheries policy, professional association

L 187/70

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

20. 7. 1999

COMMISSION DECISION

of 14 July 1999

renewing the Advisory Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture

(notified under document number C(1999) 2042)

(1999/478/EC)

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Article 1

(1) Whereas it is important for the Commission to obtain
the reactions of the interests concerned on the questions
raised by the establishment of a common fisheries policy
(CFP);

1.
An Advisory Committee on Fisheries and Aquaculture is
set up within the Commission, made up of one plenary
committee hereafter referred to as ‘the Committee’ and four
working groups referred to in Article 7.

fisheries

(2) Whereas an advisory committee (ACF) was created in
the
Commission Decision
by
71/128/EEC (1) the text of which as last replaced by
by Decision
as
Decision
97/246/EC (3);

89/4/EEC (2),

amended

sector

(3) Whereas it appears opportune to widen, within the
framework of the ACF, the dialogue on the development
and management of the CFP to all parties concerned, in
particular to the aquaculture sector and non-profes-
sionnal organisations; whereas for this purpose it
is
necessary to re-examine the structure of the Committee;

(4) Whereas,

in order to encourage the formulation of
analyses and of joint positions on the CFP, it is useful to
invite the members of ACF to deal first of all with
questions of concern to them;

(5) Whereas in the interests of efficiency it is necessary to
limit the number of members of the Committee;

(6) Whereas it is useful to improve the dialogue by means
of a better link between the plenary committee, assigned
to direct the work of the Committee and to express
opinions,
charged with
preparing these opinions;

and the working groups

(7) Whereas the mandate of the members of the Committee
expires on 31 July 1999 at the end of a transitional
the aforementioned
period set
Committee and that it is therefore appropriate to amend
the text of the Decision in the sense indicated above;

the reform of

for

2.
The Committee is composed of representatives of the
following interests: professional organisations representing the
producer companies, the processing industry and traders in
fishery and aquaculture products and non-professional organ-
isations representing the interests of consumers, the environ-
ment and development.

Experts of

3.
representing scientific
and/or economic bodies, banking and first point-of-sale are
represented in the groups defined in Article 7.

the fisheries sector

Article 2

The Committee may be consulted by the Commission on or
take up, at the initiative of its chairman or at the request of one
or more of its members, questions concerning the rules of the
common fisheries policy and in particular measures that the
Commission may take in the framework of such rules as well
as economic and social questions in the fisheries sector, apart
from those which concern, as social partners, employers and
workers.

Article 3

The committee is composed of 20 members hereafter referred
to as ‘the members’.

1. One seat is allotted to each of the 11 following interests,
numbered from (1) to (11). For each of these 11 seats a full
member and a deputy member is foreseen:

(8) Whereas in the interests of clarity the text of Decision

71/128/EEC should be replaced,

Fishing companies:

1) private shipowners

Professional organisations:

(1) OJ L 68, 22.3.1971, p. 18.
(2) OJ L 5, 7.1.1989, p. 33.
(3) OJ L 97, 12.4.1997, p. 27.

2) co-operative shipowners

3) producers organisations

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Aquaculture companies:

4) stock-breeders of mul-

luscs and shellfish

5) stock-breeders of fish

Downstream companies:

6) processors

Trade unions:

7) traders (import/export
and wholesalers)

8) fishermen and salaried
employees of those
companies

Non-professional organisations concerned with the CFP:

9) consumers

10) environment

11) development

2. The following also have a seat on the Committee:

the
chairman and the vice-chairman of the Fisheries sectorial
dialogue committee (1), the chairman and vice-chairman of
working groups 1, 3 and 4, as referred to in Article 7, and
the chairman of working group 2 as referred to in Article 7.

Article 4

The members of the Committee are appointed by the
1.
Commission on proposals from the organisations set up at
Community level which are most representative of the interests
specified in Article 3(1). The consumers' representative is
proposed by the consumers' (2) committee.

For each seat to be filled, except for the seats reserved for the
sectoral dialogue committee on fisheries, the organisations shall
propose two candidates of different nationality. For the seats
allotted to the interests foreseen by Article 3(1) the proposals
shall specify the name of the full member and that of the
substitute.

The term of office for a member of the Committee shall be
three years. It may be renewable. The functions carried out are
not subject to remuneration.

After expiry of the three-year period, the members of the
Committee remain in office until their replacement or the
renewal of their mandate has been decided on.

The mandate of a member comes to an end before the expiry
of the three-year period through resignation or death.

It may also be terminated when the body which put forward
the member's candidacy requests that he or she be replaced.

A person shall be appointed in accordance with the procedure
laid down in paragraph 1 to replace such a member for the
remainder of his or her term of office.

The list of

the Committee shall be
2.
published by the Commission for information purposes in the
Official Journal of the European Communities.

the members of

Article 5

The Committe shall elect,
for a three-year duration, one
chairman and two vice-chairmen. The election shall take place
by a majority of two thirds of the members present.

The members of the Committee referred to in Article 3(2) shall,
with the exception of the shipowner member of the sectoral
dialogue committee, make up the bureau of the Committee.

The bureau shall elects its chairman and prepare and organise
the activities of the working groups referred to in Article 7.

Article 6

At the request of one of the organisations referred to in Article
4(1), the chairman may invite a delegate of this organisation to
attend the meetings of the Committee. He or she may under
the same conditions invite to take part in the work of the
Committee as an expert any person having particular authority
on one of the subjects on the agenda. Deputy members may
participate at
their own
expense.

the meetings as observers and at

Article 7

The Committee shall appoint four working groups in order to
prepare its opinions.

The names of these groups as well as their chairmanships and
composition appear in the annex to this decision.

In agreement with the Commission, the participants in the
working groups shall be chosen according to the agenda of
each meeting by the most representative organisations set up at
Community level. The representatives of biology or of the
economy shall be chosen by the STECF (3). The Commission
may, according to the agenda, designate additional experts.

Article 8

1.
The Committee shall meet on notification by the
Commission according to an annual work programme adopted
in agreement with the Commission. The bureau shall meet on
notification by its chairman and in agreement with the
Commission.

2.
The representatives of the Commission services shall take
part in the meetings of the Committee, the bureau and of the
working groups.

3.
The Commission services shall provide the secretariat of
the Committee, of the bureau and of the working groups.

(1) OJ L 225, 12.8.1998, p.27 (98/500/EC).
(2) OJ L 162, 13.7.1995, p. 37.

(3) OJ L 297, 2.12.1993, p. 25.

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In agreement with the Commission, the Committee shall
4.
draw up rules concerning the implementation of the work
programme, the preparation of meetings, the location of meet-
ings, reports, positions or conclusions and the formulation of
opinions or recommendations.

Article 9

The Committee shall be required to give an opinion on the
proposals formulated by the Commission as well as on the
subjects appearing in its work programme.

The Commission, in requesting the opinion of the Committee,
may fix the period in which the opinion will have to be
delivered.

The positions of the concerned interests shall appear in a
report forwarded forwarded to the Commission.

If the required opinion is the subject of a unanimous agree-
ment of the Committee,
it shall establish joint conclusions
which shall be attached to the report.

Article 10

Without prejudice to the provisions of Article 287 of the
Treaty, the members of the Committee as well as those of the
information
working groups shall be required not to reveal

they have received through the work of the Committee or the
working groups,
in the event that the Commission informs
them that the required opinion or the question raised deals
with a confidential matter.

In this event, only the members of the Committee and repre-
sentatives of the Commission services may attend the meetings.

Article 11

Decisions 71/128/EEC and 97/247/EC (1) are repealed.

Article 12

This Decision shall enter into force on 1 August 1999.

Done at Brussels, 14 July 1999.

For the Commission

Emma BONINO

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 97, 12.4.1997, p. 28.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

L 187/73

ANNEX

working groups referred to in Article 7

1. Names of the working groups

Group 1: Access to fisheries resources and management of fishing activity.

Group 2: Aquaculture: fish, shellfish and molluscs.

Group 3: Markets and trade policy.

Group 4: General questions: economics and sectoral analysis.

2. Chairmen and vice-chairmen

A representative of the private shipowners shall chair working groups 1 and 4.

A representative of the cooperative shipowners shall be vice-chairman of working group 1.

A representative of the stock-breeders of fish and a representative of the stock-breeders of molluscs/shellfish shall
alternatively chair and vice-chair working group 2.

A representative of the processors shall chair working group 3.

A representative of the traders shall chair working group 4.

A representative of the producer organisations shall vice-chair working group 3.

3. Number of seats per interest concerned :

Private shipowners

Cooperative shipowners

Employed fishermen

Producer organisations

Stock-breeders of fish

Mollusc/shellfish stock-breeders

Processors

Traders

Consumers

Environment

Development

Biology

Economy

Banks

Auctions and ports

Group 1

Group 2

Group 3

Group 4

5

3

2

1

—

—

—

—

—

1

1

1

1

—

—

15

—

—

1

—

6

4

—

—

1

1

—

1

1

—

—

15

1

1

1

3

1

1

3

2

1

1

1

—

1

1

1

19

3

2

2

1

1

1

2

1

1

1

1

—

1

1

—

18

The Commission may designate additional experts according to the agenda.