Proposal for a Council Regulation laying down certain control measures in respect of vessels flying the flag of non-Contracting Parties to the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (NAFO)
Date: 1999-11-09
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: North-West Atlantic Fisheries Organisation, authorised catch, conservation of fish stocks, fishing area, fishing controls

29.2.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 56 E/1

II

(Preparatory Acts)

COMMISSION

Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) laying down certain control measures in respect of vessels
flying the flag of non-Contracting Parties to the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (NAFO)

(2000/C 56 E/01)

(Text with EEA relevance)

COM(1999) 570 final (cid:151) 1999/0231(CNS)

(Submitted by the Commission on 9 November 1999)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

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

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament,

Whereas:

(1) The European Community is a Contracting Party to the
Convention on Future Multilateral Co-operation in the
Northwest Atlantic Fisheries, hereafter referred to as the
(cid:145)NAFO Convention(cid:146) (1);

(2) The NAFO Convention provides a suitable framework for
regional cooperation in the conservation and management
of fishery resources through, inter alia, the setting up of an
international organisation known as the Northwest Atlantic
Fisheries Organisation, herefter referred to as (cid:145)NAFO(cid:146) and
and
the
proposals
enforcement measures for the fishery resources of
the
NAFO Regulatory Area, which become binding upon the
Contracting Parties;

conservation

adoption

for

of

(3) The practice of operating fishing vessels under the flag of
non-Contracting Parties to NAFO as a means of avoiding
compliance with conservation and enforcement measures
established by NAFO remains one of the factors which
seriously undermines the effectiveness of such measures
and should, therefore, be discouraged;

(4) NAFO has consistently invited the non-Contracting Parties
concerned to either become a member of NAFO or to
agree
enforcement
measures established by NAFO with a view to fulfilling
their responsibilities with regard to fishing vessels entitled
to fly their flag;

conservation and

to apply

the

(5) At its 19th Annual Meeting in September 1997, NAFO
resolved to adopt a (cid:145)Scheme to Promote Compliance by
Non-Contracting Party vessels with the Conservation and
Enforcement Measures Established by NAFO(cid:146), the objective
of which is to ensure that the effectiveness of conservation
and enforcement measures established by NAFO is not
undermined by non-Contracting vessels;

(6) This Scheme provides,

for

inter alia,

the mandatory
inspection of non-Contracting Party vessels when such
vessels are voluntarily in the ports of Contracting Parties
and, with due regard to the multi-species fisheries in the
Regulatory Area of NAFO, a prohibition of landings and
transshipments if,
it is
established that the catch has been taken in contravention
of conservation and enforcement measures established by
NAFO as well as certain other collateral measures to be
taken by Contracting Parties;

in the course of such inspection,

(7) At the 20th Annual Meeting of NAFO in September 1998,
certain specifications have been made to the provisions of
the Scheme relating to at-sea transshipments and relevant
sightings;

(8) At the 21st Annual Meeting of NAFO in September 1999,
additional specifications for stateless vessels have been
made;

(9) Under the EC Treaty, the authority over internal waters and
ports is exercised by the Member States; whereas, however,
as regards access to port facilities in the Community by
non-Contracting Party vessels which have been sighted
engaging in fishing activities in the NAFO Regulatory
Area, it is necessary to enact additional uniform measures
at Community level, which supplement
the measures
in Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93 (2) and
provided for
ensure that the operations of such vessels in Community
ports do not undermine the effectiveness of the conser-
vation and enforcement measures established by NAFO,

(1) OJ L 378, 30.12.1978, p. 1.

(2) OJ L 261, 20.10.1993, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regu-

lation (EC) No 2846/98 (OJ L 358, 31.12.1998, p. 5).

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Official Journal of the European Communities

29.2.2000

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 5

Article 1

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions
shall apply:

(a) (cid:145)fishing activities(cid:146): fishing, fish processing operations, the
transshipment of
fish or fish products, and any other
activity in preparation for or related to fishing in the
NAFO Regulatory Area;

(b) (cid:145)NAFO Regulatory Area(cid:146): the area referred to in Article I,

paragraph 2, of the NAFO Convention;

(c) (cid:145)non-Contracting Party vessel(cid:146): a vessel which has been
sighted and reported as having engaged in fishing activities
in the NAFO Regulatory Area and

(i) which flies

the flag of a State which is not a

Contracting Party to the NAFO Convention; or

(ii) for which there are clear grounds for suspecting it to

be without nationality

Article 2

Upon receipt of a report on a sighting of a non-Contracting
Party vessel by a Community inspector assigned to the NAFO
Scheme of Joint International Inspection and Surveillance, the
Commission shall transmit this information without delay to
the Secretariat of NAFO and, where possible, to the non-Con-
tracting Party vessel, informing it that the information will be
to the NAFO
transmitted to all
Convention and to its flag State.

the Contracting Parties

Article 3

1. Member States shall ensure that each non-Contracting
Party vessel, which enters a designated port within the
meaning of Article 28e of Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93,
is
inspected by their competent authorities. The vessel may not
land or transship any catch until
this inspection has been
completed.

If, on completion of inspection, the competent authorities
2.
find that the non-Contracting Party vessel holds on board any
of the species listed in Annexes I and II, the Member State
concerned shall prohibit any landing and/or transshipment.

However, no such prohibition shall apply if the master of
3.
the inspected vessel or his representative proves to the satis-
faction of
the Member State
concerned that:

the competent authorities of

(cid:151) species held on board were caught outside the NAFO Regu-

latory Area; or

(cid:151) species held on board and listed in Annex II were caught in
enforcement

conservation and

accordance with the
measures established by NAFO.

Article 6

1. Member States shall communicate without delay to the
Commission the results of each inspection and, where appro-
priate, any subsequent prohibition of
landing and/or trans-
shipment, which was applied as a result of the inspection.
This information shall
the
inspected non-Contracting Party vessel and its flag State, the
date and the port of inspection, the grounds for a subsequent
prohibition of landing and/or transhipment or, where no such
prohibition was applied, the evidence presented pursuant to
Article 5, paragraph 3.

the name of

inter alia,

include,

The Commission shall communicate to all the Member States
without delay each report on a sighting, which it has received
pursuant to Article 2 or by way of a notification from the
Secretariat of NAFO or another Contracting Party.

2.
The Commission shall transmit this information without
delay to the Secretariat of NAFO and as soon as possible to the
flag State of the inspected non-Contracting Party vessel.

Article 4

Community fishing vessels shall be prohibited from receiving
transshipments of fish from non-Contracting Party vessels.

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

Article 7

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ANNEX I

LIST OF REGULATED SPECIES

Common English Name

Scientific Name

1. Atlantic cod . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(Gadus morhua)

2. Atlantic redfishes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(Sebastes sp.)

3. American plaice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(Hippoglossoides platessoides)

4. Yellowtail flounder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(Limanda ferruginea)

5. Witch flounder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(Glyptocephalus cynoglossus)

6. Capelin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(Mallotus villosus)

7. Greenland halibut. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(Reinhardtius hippoglossoides)

8. Short-finned squid (Illex). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(Illex illecebrosus)

9. Shrimps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(Pandalus sp.)

ANNEX II

LIST OF NON-REGULATED SPECIES

Common English Name

Scientific Name

1. Haddock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(Melanogrammus aeglefinus)

2. Silver hake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(Merluccius bilinearis)

3. Red hake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(Urophycis chuss)

4. Pollock. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(Pollachius virens)

5. Roundnose grenadier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(Macrourus rupestris)

6. Atlantic herring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(Clupea harengus)

7. Atlantic mackerel

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(Scomber scombrus)

8. Atlantic butterfish . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(Peprilus triacanthus)

9. River herring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(Alosa pseudoharengus)

10. Atlantic argentine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(Argentina silus)

11. Long-finned squid (Loligo)

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(Loligo pealei)

12. Wolffishes (NS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(Anarchichas sp.)

13. Skates (NS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(Raja sp.)