Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION on the signing, on behalf of the European Union, and provisional application of an Agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Norway on reciprocal access to fishing in the Skagerrak
Date: 2014-06-24
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: North Sea, Norway, agreement (EU), catch quota, fishing area, fishing rights, sea fishing, signature of an agreement













EUR-Lex - 52014PC0373 - EN











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52014PC0373

Proposal for a COUNCIL DECISION on the signing, on behalf of the European Union, and provisional application of an Agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Norway on reciprocal access to fishing in the Skagerrak /* COM/2014/0373 final - 2014/0189 (NLE) */









EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
1.           CONTEXT OF THE PROPOSAL
An Agreement on reciprocal access to
fishing in the Skagerrak and Kattegat between Denmark, Norway and Sweden was signed on 19 December 1966 and entered into force on 7 August 1967. This
agreement, which was in addition to the 1980 bilateral fisheries agreement
between the European Union and Norway, allowed for reciprocal access between
those three countries to fish up to 4 nautical miles from their respective
baselines in the Skagerrak and Kattegat, which are the waters between the North
Sea and the Baltic Sea. Furthermore, the Agreement established that, for the
purposes of such fishing, the area in question was deemed to constitute the
high seas. Thus the Agreement regulated the relationship between the flag
States, on the one hand, and the respective Coastal States, on the other.
The 1966 Agreement was a simple Agreement,
which took into account the particular geography of the Skagerrak and Kattegat area in respect of fisheries and recognised that there were practical reasons to
allow for a simple access regime for what is essentially a very small area of
seas. For that reason, the 1966 Agreement consisted of only three Articles, the
first of which defined the area concerned, with the second defining the rights
of access and the desire to harmonise technical regulations.
With the accession of Denmark and Sweden to the EU in 1973 and 1995 respectively, the Commission became responsible for
the management of this Agreement on behalf of those two Member States.
Consultations on the arrangements resulting from this Agreement have been held
in parallel with consultations held under the 1980 bilateral fisheries
agreement.
The 1966 Agreement remained in force for
an initial period of 35 years until 2002 and was subsequently extended for two
five-year periods until 2012. Termination of the agreement was possible through
giving three years notice by one or other Party prior to the date of expiry of
any five-year period.
In view of more recent developments in
international fisheries law and, in particular, with the introduction of the UN
Convention on the Law of the Sea of 1982 and the UN Fish Stocks Agreement of
1995, Norway considered that the existing agreement was not in conformity with
the current provisions of the Law of the Sea. Norway was particularly concerned
with regard to the provisions on control. Moreover, they considered that the
Agreement was not in harmony with the principles of normal Coastal State jurisdiction pursuant to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and did not
correspond with modern conservation and management principles.
On 29 July 2009, the Norwegian Foreign
Ministry formally informed the Danish authorities, the Depositary Government of
the Agreement, that they wished to terminate the Agreement with a formal
denunciation in accordance with Article 3(3) of the Agreement. Consequently,
the 1966 Agreement expired on 7 August 2012.
Subsequently, Norway entered into formal
negotiations with the Commission, on behalf of the European Union, with the aim
of establishing a new Agreement on reciprocal access to fishing in the
Skagerrak and Kattegat area. An Agreement was initialled on 24 October 2013,
which is in conformity with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea as well as
subsequent related provisions in other agreements.
This new Agreement will maintain the
exclusive access granted to vessels from Denmark, Norway and Sweden to each other's waters outside 4 nautical miles from the baselines. It will ensure
continued reciprocal access for the two Member States and Norway to the respective waters of the other Parties in the Skagerrak area, whilst at the same time,
ensuring sound conservation and management measures for fisheries in the area.
Furthermore, it will allow for control measures in harmony with the principles
of normal Coastal State jurisdiction, as is already the case for fisheries in
the North Sea.
In order to guarantee the continuation of
access by EU vessels for fishing activities, the new Agreement should, pending
its entry into force, be applied provisionally up to two years from the date of
its signature.
2.           RESULTS OF CONSULTATIONS
WITH THE INTERESTED PARTIES AND IMPACT ASSESSMENTS
Not relevant
3.           LEGAL ELEMENTS OF THE
PROPOSAL
This proposal seeks to authorise the
signature of an Agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Norway on reciprocal access to fishing in the Skagerrak. 
2014/0189 (NLE)
Proposal for a
COUNCIL DECISION
on the signing, on behalf of the European
Union, and provisional application of an Agreement between the European Union
and the Kingdom of Norway on reciprocal access to fishing in the Skagerrak
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the
Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 43(2), in conjunction with Article 218(5) thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the
European Commission,
Whereas:
(1)       A neighbourhood Agreement
on reciprocal access to fishing in the Skagerrak and Kattegat between Denmark, Norway and Sweden was signed on 19 December 1966 and entered into force on 7 August 1967.
(2)       This neighbourhood
Agreement allowed for reciprocal access between those three countries to fish
in the area up to 4 nautical miles from their respective baselines in the
Skagerrak and Kattegat and that, for the purposes of such fishing, the area in
question was deemed to constitute the high seas and therefore flag State
jurisdiction applied in matters such as control.
(3)       With the accession of Denmark and Sweden to the EU in 1973 and 1995 respectively, the Commission became responsible for
the management of this Agreement on behalf of those two Member States.
(4)       On 29 July 2009, the
Norwegian Foreign Ministry notified the Danish authorities, the Depositary
Government of the Agreement, that they wished to terminate the Agreement with a
formal denunciation in accordance with Article 3(3) of the Agreement and
consequently, the 1966 Agreement expired on 7 August 2012.
(5)       The Council authorised the
Commission to negotiate with the Kingdom of Norway, on behalf of the European
Union, a new Agreement on reciprocal access to fishing in the Skagerrak and Kattegat.
(6)       As a result of those
negotiations, a new Agreement was initialled on 24 October 2013.
(7)       In order to guarantee the
continuation of access by EU vessels for fishing activities, the new Agreement
should, pending its entry into force, be applied provisionally up to two years
from the date of its signature.
(8)       The new Agreement should
be signed.
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: 
Article 1
The signing on behalf of the Union of the
Agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Norway on reciprocal
access to fishing in the Skagerrak is hereby authorised, subject to the
conclusion of the said Agreement.
The text of the Agreement is attached to
this Decision.
Article 2
The President of the Council is hereby
authorised to designate the person(s) empowered to sign the Agreement on behalf
of the Union.
Article 3
The Agreement shall, pending its entry into force, be applied provisionally up to two
years from the date of its signature.
Article 4
This Decision
shall enter into force on the day of its adoption.
Done at Brussels,
                                                                       For
the Council
                                                                       The
President
ANNEX
to the
Proposal for a Council decision
on the signing, on behalf of the
European Union, and provisional application of an Agreement between the
European Union and the Kingdom of Norway on reciprocal access to fishing in the
Skagerrak
Agreement
between the European Union and the Kingdom of Norway on
reciprocal access to fishing in the Skagerrak 
 for vessels flying the flag of Denmark, Norway and Sweden
The European Union and the Kingdom of Norway, hereinafter referred to as “The Parties”,
REFERRING to the provisions of the United
Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982, hereinafter
referred to as “the Convention”;
RECALLING the Agreement on Fisheries
between the European Economic Community and the Kingdom of Norway of 27 February 1980, hereinafter referred to as “the 1980 Agreement”;
HAVING REGARD to the expiry on 7 August
2012 of the Agreement between Denmark, Norway and Sweden on reciprocal access
to fishing in the Skagerrak and the Kattegat of 19 December 1966;
AWARE of the traditional Danish, Norwegian
and Swedish fisheries in the Skagerrak; 
SEEKING to maintain reciprocal access for
vessels flying the flag of Denmark, Norway and Sweden to conduct fishing in the
Skagerrak in areas beyond four nautical miles from the respective baselines of
the other said States, within their territorial sea and adjacent areas of
fisheries jurisdiction; 
CONSIDERING the importance of compliance by
fishing vessels with the laws, regulations and control and enforcement measures
adopted by the respective coastal States, in accordance with the provisions of
the Convention, the 1980 Agreement and this Agreement, in order to ensure the
conservation and sustainable use of the living resources in the Skagerrak;
HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS:
Article
1
This Agreement applies to an area in the
Skagerrak bounded on the west by a straight line running through the Hanstholm
lighthouse and the Lindesnes lighthouse and on the south by a straight line
running through the Skagen lighthouse and the Tistlarna lighthouse, within
those parts of the territorial sea and adjacent areas of fisheries jurisdiction
of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, that extend beyond four nautical miles (1
nautical mile = 1,852 metres) from the baselines from which the breadth of the
territorial sea is measured.
Article
2
Within the area specified in Article 1,
each Party undertakes, on the basis of its fisheries jurisdiction, in
conformity with the Convention, and pursuant to its applicable laws, to permit vessels
flying the flag of Denmark, Norway and Sweden to engage in fishing, subject to
the relevant provisions of the 1980 Agreement and in conformity with
allocations agreed by the Parties. 
Article
3
The Parties shall cooperate in order to
establish, insofar as possible, harmonised rules and regulations in respect of
fishing within the area specified in Article 1.
Article
4
The Parties agree to consult on questions
related to the implementation and proper functioning of this Agreement, or in
the event of a dispute concerning the interpretation thereof.
Article
5
This Agreement shall be without prejudice
to other Agreements concerning fishing by vessels of one Party within the area
of fisheries jurisdiction of the other Party. 
Article
6
Without prejudice to Article 1, this
Agreement shall apply, on the one hand, to the territories in which the Treaty
on the European Union and Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union are
applied and under the conditions laid down in those Treaties and, on the other
hand, to the territory of the Kingdom of Norway. 
Article
7
This Agreement shall enter into force on
the date of receipt of the last notification that all internal procedures
required for its entry into force, have been fulfilled by the Parties. 
Article
8
This Agreement shall remain in force until
1 January 2022. In the event of the Agreement not being terminated by either
Party through notice of termination given at least one year before the expiry
of that period, it shall remain in force for additional periods of six years
duration thereafter, provided that notice of termination has not been given at
least one year before the expiry of any such six years period. 
Article
9
This Agreement shall, pending its entry
into force, be applied provisionally up to two years from the date of
signature.
Article
10
This Agreement is drawn up in two copies in
the Bulgarian, Spanish, Czech, Danish, German, Estonian, Greek, English,
French, Croatian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Hungarian, Maltese, Dutch,
Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovakian, Slovenian, Finnish, Swedish and
Norwegian languages, each of these texts being authentic. In the event of
contradiction or dispute, the English text shall prevail.