CELEX: 51997PC0655
Language: en
Date: 1997-12-04
Title: Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) allocating, for 1998, catch quotas between Member States for vessels fishing in Lithuanian waters

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                       Brussels, 04.12.1997
                                       COM(97)655 final
                       Proposal for a
            COUNCIL REGULATION ŒO
allocating, for 1998, catch quotas between Member States
          for vessels fishing in Lithuanian waters
             (presented by the Commission)
 ---pagebreak---  ---pagebreak---                             EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
Consultations between the Community and Lithuania took place in Brussels from 15 to 16 October
 1997 and resulted in an Agreed Record of Conclusions defining a reciprocal fisheries arrangement for
 1998.
These consultations were held on the basis of the new Agreement on Fisheries Relations between the
European Community and the Republic of Lithuania, signed in Brussels on 20 December 1996.
The fisheries arrangement for 1998 provides, inter alia, for certain catch quotas for Community
vessels in the Lithuanian fishing zone in the framework of the exchange of fishing possibilities and
reciprocal access quotas.
The purpose of this proposal for a regulation is to allocate among Member States the quotas available
in 1998 to Community vesselsfishingin the Lithuanian zone under the above mentioned arrangement.
As a consequence of the Act of Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden to the European Union, in
particular Article 121, paragraph 1, footnote 9 of the table, Member States of the Community, as
constituted before enlargement, have been compensated for their lower share of the cod stock up to the
level required by the Council Declaration.
Lithuania is compensated for the quotas obtained in its waters by way of a financial contribution of
ECU 563,510, in accordance with Article 4 of the Agreement on Fisheries Relations between the
European Community and the Republic of Lithuania.
                                                         L
 ---pagebreak---                                                Proposal for a
                            COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No                    /98
                                          of.... December 1997
                       allocating, for 1998, catch quotas between Member States
                                 for vessels fishing in Lithuanian waters
  THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,
  Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
  Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 3760/92 of 20 December 1992 establishing a
 Community system for fisheries and aquaculture , and in particular Article 8 (4) thereof,
  I laving regard to the proposal from the Commission,
  Whereas, in accordance with the procedure provided for in the Agreement on fisheries relations
 between the European Community and the Republic of Lithuania , and in particular Articles 3 mid 6
 thereof, the Community and Lithuania have held consultations concerning their mutual fishing rights
 for 1998 and the management of common living resources;
 Whereas, in the course of these consultations, the delegations agreed to recommend to their respective
 authorities that certain catch quotas for 1998 should befixedfor the vessels of the other Party;
 Whereas the necessary measures should be taken to implement, for 1998, the results of the
 consultations held with Lithuania;
 Whereas to ensure efficient management of the catch possibilities available in Lithuanian waters, the
 quotas should be allocated among the Member States in accordance with Article 8 of Regulation
 (EEC) No 3760/92;
 Whereas the fishing activities covered by this Regulation are subject to the control measures provided
 for by Council Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93 of 12 October 1993 establishing a control system
applicable to the common fisheries policy ;
Whereas additional conditions for the year-to-year management of TACs and quotas, in accordance
with the provisions laid down in Article 2 of Council Regulation (EC) No 847/96(4), were not agreed
with Lithuania;
Whereas, for imperative reasons of common interest, this Regulation will apply from 1 January 1998;
{1)
         OJ No L 389, 31.12.1992, p. 1. Regulation as amended by the 1994 Act of Accession
(2)
         OJ No L 332, 20.12.1996, p.6.
(3)
      • OJ No L261, 20.10.1993, p. 1.
(4)
         OJ No L 115, 9.5.1996, p. 3.
                                                              3
 ---pagebreak--- HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
                                                 Article 1
From 1 January to 31 December 1998 vessels flying the flag of a Member State are hereby authorized
to make catches within the quota limits set out in the Annex in waters falling within the fisheries
jurisdiction of Lithuania.
                                                 Article 2
The financial contribution provided for in Article 4 of the Agreement on Fisheries Relations between
the European Community and the Republic of Lithuania shall be set for the period referred to in
Article 1 at ECU 563,510, payable to an account designated by Lithuania.
                                                 Article 3
Stocks referred to in the Annex shall not be subject to the conditions stipulated in Articles 2,3 and 5
(2) of Council Regulation (EC) No 847/96.
                                                 Article 4
This Regulation shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the
European Communities. It shall apply from 1 January 1998.
         This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
         Done at Brussels,.... December 1997.
                                                                 For the Council
                                                                 The President
                                                          V
 ---pagebreak---                                         ANNEX
        Allocation of Community catch quotas in Lithuanian waters for 1998
      (in metric tonnes, fresh round weight; for salmon: numbers of individual fish)
Species              ICES              Community                    Quotas allocated
                    division           catch quotas                to Member States
 Cod                  IH(d)                 500            Denmark                    186
                                                           Finland                     80
                                                           Germany                     84
                                                           Sweden                     150
Herring               111(d)               2 000           Denmark                    954
                                                           Finland                      0
                                                           Germany                    716
                                                           Sweden                     330
Salmon                111(d)               4 100           Denmark                   1595
                                                           Finland                   1534
                                                           Germany                    177
                                                           Sweden                     794
 Sprat                111(d)              16 000           Denmark                   9305
                                                           Finland                      0
                                                           Germany                   2475
                                                           Sweden                    4220
                                                   S
 ---pagebreak---                              FINANCIAL STATEMENT
1. TITLE:         Proposal for a Council Regulation allocating for 1998 catch quotas between
                  Member States for vessels fishing in Lithuanian waters.
2. BUDGETARY LINE CONCERNED:                       B7-800
3. LEGAL BASIS:           Article 8 (4) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 3760/92
4. DESCRIPTION:
   4.1    General objectives:
           •       maintain and develop the traditional activity of Community fishermen in
                   Lithuanian waters;
                   supply the Community market; and
           •       decrease the fishing effort in Community waters.
   4.2     Period covered:         Year 1998
5. CLASSIFICATION OF EXPENDITURE:
   5.1     DO
   5.2     CD
6. TYPE OF EXPENDITURE:
   Financial compensation paid for fishing possibilities in Lithuanian waters.
7. FINANCIAL CONSEQUENCES:                         ECU 563,510
   The financial compensation provided for in Article 4 of the Agreement has been negotiated on
   the basis of average landing prices for 1996 in Community ports in the Baltic Sea. A deduction
   has been made for estimated fleet exploitation costs for each of the species.
 ---pagebreak---         7.1      Method of calculation:
                                          COD          SALMON           HERRING            SPRAT
 Quota obtained (in tonnes)               1,500           20.5            2,000             16,000
                                                      (4,100 units)
 Weighted average landing prices           908            2,284           166.81            84.75
 1996(ECU/tonne)
 Market value (in ECUs)                 1,362,000        46,822          333,620          1,356,000
 Negotiated (percentage)                   25%            25%             12.5%             12.5%
 In ECUs                                 340,500         11,710           41,700           169,600
                        Total financial compensation (Article 4): ECU 563,510
                                   Average price ECU/tonne: 28.87
        ANTI-FRAUD PROVISIONS:
        The financial contribution granted by the Community is utilised by Lithuania to develop its
        fisheries sector in accordance with Article 4 of the Agreement. The amount is administered by
        the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry of the Republic of Lithuania.
9.      ELEMENTS OF COST/BENEFIT ANALYSIS:
        The Community fleet in the Baltic Sea has been severely hit by reductions in catch
        possibilities, mainly due to biological factors (low salinity of the water and the M-74 disease)
        and pollution of the water. Any increase in fishing possibilities above current critical catch
        levels will contribute towards preventing the fleet, and connected industries and services
        ashore, from collapsing and disappearing. This will also avoid, to a certain extent, payments
        under lay-up schemes or social programmes.
        Experience has taught us that the financial compensation, similar to that paid in 1997, has
        mainly been used by Lithuania for the continued improvement of scientific research on
        fisheries and the training of fisheries managers. This has entailed improved scientific
        assessment and enforcement in the fishery zone of Lithuania and has contributed to a more
        rational exploitation of the stocks, to the benefit of all concerned in the Baltic Sea.
        The expenses proposed are foreseen in the budgetary planning for the period concerned.
10.     ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES:
        The proposal does not require new Commission staff or additional administrative costs.
                                                          ^
 ---pagebreak---  ---pagebreak---                                                                   ISSN 0254-1475
                                                           COM(97) 655 final
                                             DOCUMENTS
EN                                                                03 11 14
                                    Catalogue number : CB-CO-97-670-EN-C
                                                             ISBN 92-78-28467-X
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