Proposal for a Council Decision amending Decision 439/2000/EC of 29 June 2000 on a financial contribution from the Community towards the expenditure incurred by certain Member States in collecting data, and for financing studies and pilot projects for carrying out the common fisheries policy
Date: 2004-09-29
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU financing, co-financing, common fisheries policy, data collection, fishing statistics

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 29.9.2004 
COM(2004) 618 final 

2004/0213 (CNS) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL DECISION 

amending Decision 439/2000/EC of 29 June 2000 on a financial contribution from the 
Community towards the expenditure incurred by certain Member States in collecting 
data, and for financing studies and pilot projects for carrying out the common fisheries 
policy 

(presented by the Commission) 

EN 

   EN 

 
 
 
  
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM 

The purpose of this Decision is to adapt the application period of Decision (EC) No 439/20001 
of  29  June  2000  on  a  financial  contribution  from  the  Community  towards  the  expenditure 
incurred by Member States in collecting data, and for financing studies and pilot projects for 
carrying out the common fisheries policy (CFP). 

The Decision (EC) No 439/2000 covers the period from 2000 to 2005. It is closely linked to 
Regulation  (EC)  No  1543/20002  of  29  June  2000  establishing  a  Community  framework  for 
the collection and management of the data needed to conduct the CFP, which lays down that 
Member States  shall  draw up  for six year periods a national programme. However, the first 
programming period should exceptionally cover the years 2002 to 2006 inclusive, whereas the 
collection and management of data in 2001 was organised by means of calls for proposals and 
invitations to tender also covered by Decision (EC) No 439/2000. 

Member  States  wishing  to  receive  a  financial  contribution  towards  the  expenditure  to  be 
incurred  during  the  first  programming  period  from  1  January  2002  to  31  December  2006 
should  have  presented  to  the  Commission,  not  later  than  31  May  2001,  their  annual 
expenditure  forecasts  for  this  period,  followed  by  yearly  updates  due  before  31  May  each 
year.  On  the  basis  of  this  information,  the  Commission  should  decide  each  year  on  the 
eligibility of the forecast expenditure and on the amount of the financial assistance from the 
Community for the following year. The preparation of the national programmes for 2002 to 
2006  and  the  corresponding  Commission  Decision  to  co-finance  them  were  therefore 
supposed to take place in the year before their execution. 

However,  due  to  the  late  adoption  of  implementing  rules  for  the  application  of  Regulation 
(EC)  No  1543/2000,  Member  States  submitted  their  national  programmes  and  expenditure 
forecasts only in the autumn 2001 instead of May 2001. This late submission on the one hand 
and the lengthy procedure for examining these (using external consultants) on the other hand, 
made  it  impossible  to  commit  the  appropriations  for  the  first  exercise  (2002)  in  the  year 
before  (2001).  Instead,  the  commitment  of  expenditure  took  place  in  the  year  of  execution, 
2002.  The  same  phenomenon  of  a  postponed  administrative  and  financial  cycle  occurred  in 
2003  and  2004.  Consequently,  the  Commission  decision  on  the  amount  of  the  financial 
assistance from the Community towards the expenditure to be incurred in 2006 will only be 
prepared and adopted in 2006 instead of 2005. 

It is thus proposed that the reference period referred to in Article 1, paragraph 2, be changed 
from 2000 to 2005 into 2001 to 2006. 

The reference amount laid down in Article 1 of Decision 439/2000/EC does no longer reflect 
the  actual  needs  proved  true  for  the  previous  years  and  the  updated  estimations  for  the 
following  years.  Furthermore  it  does  not  take  into  account  the  needs  of  the  new  Member 
States. Therefore, the reference amount should be adapted to the updated estimations. 

1 
2 

OJ L 176, 15.07.2000, p. 42 
OJ L 176, 15.07.2000, p. 1 

EN 

2 

   EN 

 
                                                 
2004/0213 (CNS) 

Proposal for a 

COUNCIL DECISION 

amending Decision 439/2000/EC of 29 June 2000 on a financial contribution from the 
Community towards the expenditure incurred by certain Member States in collecting 
data, and for financing studies and pilot projects for carrying out the common fisheries 
policy 

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 Commission3, 

Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament4, 

Whereas: 

(1) 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

Council  Decision  439/2000/EC5  provides  that  the  Community  may  grant  a  financial 
contribution towards the expenditure incurred by Member States in collecting fisheries 
data  within  the  Community  framework  laid  down  in  Council  Regulation  (EC)  No 
1543/20006 for the period from 2002 to 2006 inclusive. 

The collection and management of data in 2001 was organised by means of calls for 
proposals and invitations to tender in accordance with Decision 439/2000/EC. 

For the financial assistance towards the expenditure incurred by certain Member States 
during  the  period  2002  to  2006,  the  preparation  of  the  national  programmes  and  the 
corresponding  Commission  Decision  to  co-finance  them  were  planned  to  take  place 
the year before their execution. Therefore, the application period laid down in Article 
1 of Decision 439/2000/EC is from 2000 to 2005. 

Due to an underestimation of the length of the necessary administrative and financial 
procedures, it proved impossible to follow the procedure of preparation and decision 
making  in  the  year  before  the  execution  of  the  national  programmes.  Instead,  the 
administrative and financial procedures have proved to take place within the same year 
as  the  execution  itself.  Therefore,  the  reference  period  laid  down  in  Article  1  of 
Decision  439/2000/EC  should  be  changed  in  order  to  cover  the  period  of  execution 
from 2001 to 2006. 

3 
4 
5 
6 

OJ C , , p.  
OJ C , , p.  
OJ L176, 15.7.2000 p42 
OJ L176, 15.7.2000 p1 

EN 

3 

   EN 

 
                                                 
(5) 

The reference amount laid down in Article 1 of Decision 439/2000/EC does no longer 
reflect the actual needs proved true for the previous years and the updated estimations 
for the following years. Furthermore it does not take into account the needs of the new 
Member  States.  Therefore,  the  reference  amount  should  be  adapted  to  the  updated 
estimations. 

(6) 

Decision 2000/439/EC should therefore be amended accordingly, 

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:  

Article 1 

Decision 2000/439/EC is amended as follows: 

(1) 

In Article 1(2), the first sentence is replaced by the following:  

‘The financial reference for the implementation of the measures for which financial 
assistance is provided for the period 2001 to 2006 shall be EUR [164,5] million.’ 

(2) 

In Article 4 (3) (b), the words ‘for the following year’ are deleted. 

Article 2 

This Decision is addressed to the Member States. 

Done at Brussels,  

For the Council 
The President 

EN 

4 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
 
1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

5. 

5.0 

FINANCIAL STATEMENT 

DATE: 09.03.2004 
APPROPRIATIONS: 
Credit appropriations 

BUDGET HEADING: 
11.07.01 – Support for the management of fishery resources (collection of basic 
data and improvement of scientific advice) 
TITLE: 
Proposal for a Council Decision amending Decision No (EC) 439/2000 of 29 June 2000 on a financial 
contribution from the Community towards the expenditure incurred by certain Member States in 
collecting data, and for financing studies and pilot projects for carrying out the common fisheries policy. 
LEGAL BASIS: 
Article 37 of the Treaty 
AIMS: 
Adaptation of the application period of Decision No 439/2000 in order to guarantee the necessary 
financial resources for the Community framework as aimed by the Decision 
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 

FINANCIAL 
YEARS 
UNTIL 
2003 
(EUR million) 
55,7 

CURRENT 
FINANCIAL 
YEAR 
2004 
(EUR million) 
30 

FOLLOWING 
FINANCIAL 
YEAR 
2005 
(EUR million) 
39,4 

CHARGED TO THE EC BUDGET 

EXPENDITURE 
- 
(REFUNDS/INTERVENTIONS) 
- 
- 

NATIONAL AUTHORITIES 
OTHER 

5.1  REVENUE 

0 

0 

0 

OWN RESOURCES OF THE EC  

- 
(LEVIES/CUSTOMS DUTIES) 
NATIONAL 
- 

5.0.1  ESTIMATED EXPENDITURE 
5.1.1  ESTIMATED REVENUE 
5.2  METHOD OF CALCULATION: 

2006 
39,4 
0 

TOTAL 
164,5 
0 

EUR 164,5 million is the sum of actually committed appropriations from 2001 to 2003, available 
appropriations for 2004 and updated estimation of needs for 2005 and 2006 (including new Member 
States).  

6.0  CAN THE PROJECT BE FINANCED FROM APPROPRIATIONS ENTERED IN THE 

YES 

RELEVANT CHAPTER OF THE CURRENT BUDGET? 

6.1  CAN THE PROJECT BE FINANCED BY TRANSFER BETWEEN CHAPTERS OF 

THE CURRENT BUDGET? 

6.2  WILL A SUPPLEMENTARY BUDGET BE NECESSARY? 
6.3  WILL APPROPRIATIONS NEED TO BE ENTERED IN FUTURE BUDGETS? 
OBSERVATIONS: 
For details on the execution of credit appropriations until 2003 and previsions for 2004 until 2006 see annex to 
the financial statement. 
Pursuant to Article 8 of Decision (EC) No 439/2000 and Article 10(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1543/2000, the 
Commission has drafted an evaluation report addressed to the European Parliament and the Council. This report 
is currently subject to the internal approbation procedure. 
Fraud prevention measures are laid down in Article 7 of Decision 439/2000. 

Not 
applicable 
NO 
YES 

EN 

5 

   EN 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
LEGISLATIVE FINANCIAL STATEMENT – ANNEX 

Credit Appropriations 
(EUR million) 

Forecast 

Execution 

Remarks 

2000 

0,0 

0,0 

No budget foreseen for 2000 

2001 

20,8 

11,3 

11,3  EUR  million  were  used  for  collection  of  data  2001 
by  the  means  of  studies  pursuant  Article  5  and  pilot 
projects pursuant Article 9 of Decision No 439/2000. 

9,5  EUR  million  foreseen  for  national  programmes  of 
Member  States  2002  remained  unused,  due  to  late 
submissions  by  Member  States  and  lengthy  evaluation 
procedure thereafter. 

2002 

21,4 

21,2 

20,4 EUR million were used for national programmes of 
Member States 2002. 

0,8 EUR million were used for studies pursuant Article 9 
of Decision No 439/2000. 

2003 

24,8 

23,2 

22,9 EUR million were used for national programmes of 
Member States 2003. 

0,3 EUR million were used for studies pursuant Article 9 
of Decision No 439/2000. 

Budget 2004: 

30,0 

25,5  EUR  million  are  foreseen  for  national  programmes 
of Member States 2004. 

4,5  EUR  million  foreseen  to  cover  studies  pursuant 
Article 9 of Decision No 439/2000. 

PDB 2005: 

39.4 

33,5  EUR  million  are  foreseen  for  national  programmes 
of Member States 2005 (25,5 for EU-15 + 8 for EU-10). 

5,9  EUR  million  are  foreseen  to  cover  studies  pursuant 
Article 9 of Decision No 439/2000. 

Need 2006: 

39,4 

33,5  EUR  million  are  foreseen  for  national  programmes 
of Member States 2006 (25,5 for EU-15 + 8 for EU-10). 

5,9  EUR  million  are  foreseen  to  cover  studies  pursuant 
Article 9 of Decision No 439/2000. 

TOTAL: 

164.5 

EN 

6 

   EN