Proposal for a Council Decision establishing a Community position on the application by Lithuania to accede to the Convention on Future Multilateral co-operation in the North-East Atlantic Fisheries
Date: 2003-11-07
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: Lithuania, accession to an agreement, fishing agreement, international convention

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 7.11.2003
COM(2003) 670 final

Proposal for a

COUNCIL DECISION

establishing a Community position on the application by Lithuania to accede to the
Convention on Future Multilateral co-operation in the North-East Atlantic Fisheries

(presented by the Commission)

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

The Government of United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has, as depositary
of  the  Convention  on  Future  Multilateral  co-operation  in  the  North-East  Atlantic  Fisheries
done at London on 18 November 1980 (the NEAFC Convention), by letter of 29 August 2003
notified the  European Community that  Lithuania  has lodged  an  application  to  accede  to  the
NEAFC Convention.

The European Community is a Contracting Party to the NEAFC Convention since 19811.

Lithuania is an acceding State to the European Union and will at the date of accession become
bound by the Convention as a Member State of the European Union.

A  State  may,  in  accordance  with  Article  20  (4)  of  the  NEAFC  Convention,  accede  to  the
Convention provided that an application of accession of that State meets with the approval of
three-forths of all the Contracting Parties within 90 days from the date of notification by the
depositary.

Becoming a Contracting Party to the NEAFC Convention does not automatically mean that a
State will be allocated a quota of already regulated species.

The  Commission  proposes  that  the  Community  support  the  application  by  Lithuania  to
become a Contracting Party to the NEAFC  Convention as  Lithuania is an acceding State to
the European Union and will be bound by the NEAFC rules already before the accession.

1

OJ L 227, 12.08.1981, p. 21

2

                                                
Proposal for a

COUNCIL DECISION

establishing a Community position on the application by Lithuania to accede to the
Convention on Future Multilateral co-operation in the North-East Atlantic Fisheries

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article
300 (2) second subparagraph thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

The  Government  of  United  Kingdom  of  Great  Britain  and  Northern  Ireland  has,  as
depositary  of  the  Convention  on  Future  Multilateral  co-operation  in  the  North-East
Atlantic Fisheries done  at  London  on  18  November  1980  (the  NEAFC  Convention),
by  letter  of  29  August  2003  notified  the  European  Community  that  Lithuania  has
lodged an application to accede to the NEAFC Convention2.

A State may, in accordance with Article 20 (4) of the NEAFC Convention, accede to
the Convention provided that an application of accession of that State meets with the
approval of three-forths of all the Contracting Parties within 90 days from the date of
notification by the depositary.

(3)

The position of the Community  with respect  to  the accession  of  Lithuania  should be
established,

HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS:

Sole Article

The  Community  position  on  the  application  by  Lithuania  to  accede  to  the  Convention  on
Future Multilateral co-operation in the North-East Atlantic Fisheries shall be as follows:

“The  European  Community  will  support  the  application  by  Lithuania  to  accede  to  the
Convention on Future Multilateral co-operation in the North-East Atlantic Fisheries.”

Done at Brussels,

For the Council
The President

2

OJ L 227, 12.08.1981, p. 21

3