QUESTION RAISED HAS THUS DISCLOSED NO FACTOR OF SUCH A KIND AS TO AFFECT THE VALIDITY OF REGULATIONS NO 1719/80 , NO 3305/80 AND NO 554/81 . THOSE REGULATIONS ARE ENFORCEABLE AGAINST SPANISH NATIONALS .
11 THE DEFENDANTS IN THE MAIN PROCEEDINGS , THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT , THE COUNCIL AND THE COMMISSION HAVE DRAWN THE ATTENTION OF THE COURT TO THE FACT THAT AT THE MATERIAL TIMES IN THE TWO CASES NAMELY 2 AND 9 FEBRUARY 1981 , NO COMMUNITY REGULATION CONCERNING THE SYSTEM OF LICENCES WAS APPLICABLE TO VESSELS FLYING THE FLAG OF SPAIN . THE RECITALS IN THE PREAMBLE TO REGULATION NO 554/81 STATE IN THIS CONNECTION THAT THE CONSULTATIONS BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY AND SPAIN WHICH ARE PROVIDED FOR BY THE AGREEMENT ON FISHERIES OF 1980 , WHICH WAS PROVISIONALLY APPLIED FROM THE DATE OF SIGNATURE , WERE NOT CONCLUDED UNTIL 17 FEBRUARY 1981 , THAT FISHING BY SPANISH VESSELS IN THE FISHING ZONES OF MEMBER STATES WHICH WERE SUBJECT TO COMMUNITY FISHERIES REGULATIONS WAS AUTHORIZED DURING THE PERIOD FROM 1 TO 31 JANUARY 1981 BY REGULATION NO 3305/80 AND THAT SUCH FISHING HAD BEEN INTERRUPTED SINCE 1 FEBRUARY 1981 .
12 THE DEFENDANTS IN THE MAIN PROCEEDINGS HAVE CLAIMED THAT UNDER THE AGREEMENT ON FISHERIES SPANISH FISHERMEN WERE ENTITLED TO FISH IN THE FISHING ZONES IN QUESTION DURING THE PERIODS WHEN NO COMMUNITY REGULATION ESTABLISHED A SYSTEM OF LICENCES FOR THEM .
13 IT IS NEVERTHELESS FOR THE NATIONAL COURT TO CONSIDER THE CONSEQUENCES OF THE ABSENCE OF ANY COMMUNITY REGULATIONS CONCERNING FISHING LICENCES APPLICABLE TO SPANISH FISHING VESSELS DURING THE PERIOD FROM 1 FEBRUARY 1981 TO 4 MARCH 1981 .
14 THE COMMUNITY RULES ON THE MESH-SIZE OF NETS ARE THE SUBJECT-MATTER OF COUNCIL REGULATION ( EEC ) NO 2527/80 OF 30 SEPTEMBER 1980 LAYING DOWN TECHNICAL MEASURES FOR THE CONSERVATION OF FISHERY RESOURCES ( OFFICIAL JOURNAL L 258 , P . 1 ) THE APPLICATION OF WHICH WAS EXTENDED UNTIL 28 FEBRUARY 1981 BY COUNCIL REGULATION ( EEC ) NO 272/81 27 JANUARY 1981 ( OFFICIAL JOURNAL L 27 P . 72 ).
15 THE VALIDITY OF THOSE REGULATIONS , WHICH APPLY WITHOUT DISTINCTION TO ALL PERSONS FISHING IN CERTAIN MARITIME WATERS UNDER THE SOVEREIGNTY OR JURISDICTION OF THE MEMBER STATES , HAS NOT BEEN CONTESTED BY THE PARTIES TO THE PROCEEDINGS AND THE COURT HAS NOT FOUND ANY FACTOR OF SUCH A KIND AS TO AFFECT THE VALIDITY OF THOSE REGULATIONS .
Decision on costs
COSTS
16 THE COSTS INCURRED BY THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT AND BY THE COUNCIL AND THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES , WHICH SUBMITTED OBSERVATIONS TO THE COURT , ARE NOT RECOVERABLE . AS THESE PROCEEDINGS ARE , IN SO FAR AS THE PARTIES TO THE MAIN PROCEEDINGS ARE CONCERNED , IN THE NATURE OF A STEP IN THE PROCEEDINGS PENDING BEFORE THE NATIONAL COURT THE DECISION ON COSTS IS A MATTER FOR THAT COURT .
Operative part
ON THOSE GROUNDS ,
THE COURT ( FIRST CHAMBER ),
IN ANSWER