Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) on closer dialogue with the fishing industry and groups affected by the common fisheries policy
Date: 1999-07-22
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: European organisation, advisory committee (EU), common fisheries policy, communications policy, professional association

28.9.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 274 E/37

Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) on closer dialogue with the fishing industry and groups
affected by the common fisheries policy

(1999/C 274 E/05)

COM(1999) 382 final (cid:151) 1999/0163(CNS)

(Submitted by the Commission on 22 July 1999)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

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

Article 1

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,

(1) Whereas, in order to give the representatives of the fishery
products and aquaculture industry together with the other
groups concerned a greater role in the design, drafting and
implementation of
is
necessary to establish closer dialogue with these groups
and to make the entire decision-making process more
transparent, especially in the preparatory stages;

the common fisheries policy,

it

(2) Whereas, in view of the tasks of the Advisory Committee
on Fisheries set up by Commission Decision (EC) No . . . of
July 1999, the establishment of closer dialogue and trans-
parency could be made easier by the introduction of new
measures to improve the organisation of meetings of the
Advisory Committee and the communication to the groups
concerned of information concerning the issues at stake
and the results achieved;

(3) Whereas to that end the European trade organisations
the
should be given help in preparing meetings of
Advisory Committee with a view to stimulating compre-
hensive study of
the issues involved in the common
fisheries policy and the impact of its measures, fostering
initiatives
if possible,
from the industry and seeking,
common positions on Commission proposals;

(4) Whereas in order to improve the circumstances in which
decisions are taken the industry should be informed at a
very early stage of the initiatives planned and the aims and
details of the different common fisheries policy measures
should be explained to all the groups concerned,

Within the limits of the appropriations adopted annually by
the Budget Authority and under the conditions laid down in
the Annex hereto, the Commission shall:

(cid:151) contribute up to 100 % of the costs of meetings arranged
by the European trade organisations for the purpose of
preparing meetings of
the Advisory Committee on
Fisheries;

(cid:151) ensure that the objectives of the common fisheries policy
and measures relating to it, and in particular Commission
proposals,
relevant
information in this field to the fishing industry and the
groups concerned.

disseminate

explained,

and

are

Article 2

Funding may be provided also for meetings of experts arranged
by the Commission to support the measures referred to in the
second indent of Article 1.

Article 3

The Commission may carry out all the verifications it considers
necessary to ensure compliance with the conditions and
performance of the tasks assigned by this Regulation to the
European trade organisations, which shall assist the represen-
tatives appointed for this purpose by the Commission.

Article 4

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

C 274 E/38

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

28.9.1999

ANNEX

Costs incurred by the European trade organisations in arranging preparatory meetings for meetings of the
Advisory Committee on Fisheries

The travelling and accommodation costs of members of the European trade organisations required to travel in order to
prepare meetings of the Advisory Committee on Fisheries will be eligible.

The costs relating to meetings of the European trade organisations unconnected with meetings of the Advisory
Committee on Fisheries and costs other than those referred to in paragraph 1 will not be eligible.

Each year, as a function of the financial resources available and in proportion to entitlements within the plenary
committee of the Advisory Committee on Fisheries, each trade organisation which is a member of the Advisory
Committee on Fisheries will be allocated drawing rights under a financing agreement with the Commission.

These drawing rights and the average cost of a journey by a member of a trade organisation (approximately EUR 750 in
1998) will determine the number of journeys for which each organisation may be financially responisble for the
purpose of preparing meetings, less a maximum of 20 % of the amount of the drawing right which will be retained
by each organisation to cover its organisational and administrative costs strictly linked with the organisation of the
preparatory meetings.

This will include:

Communication with all the groups concerned

(cid:151) producing and disseminating documentary material tailored to the specific needs of the groups concerned (written,

audiovisual and electronic material) based mainly on surveys conducted among those groups;

(cid:151) providing very wide access to data and explanatory material concerning in particular Commission proposals
through the development of the Internet website and producing a regular publication, as well as organising
information and training seminars for opinion formers.

The above measures will be carried out by external contractors selected by a call for tenders.