CELEX: 51998PC0685
Language: en
Date: 1998-11-30
Title: Proposal for a Council Regulation (EC) of ... December 1998 allocating for 1999 catch quotas between Member States for vessels fishing in Estonian waters

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                       Brussels, 30.11.1998
                                       COM(1998) 685 final
                       Proposal for a
             COUNCIL REGULATION (EC)
                  of.... December 1998
allocating for 1999 catch quotas between Member States
          for vessels fishing in Estonian waters
             (presented by the Commission)
 ---pagebreak---  ---pagebreak---                               EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
Consultations between the Community and Estonia took place in Tallinn on 19-20 October
 1998 and resulted in an Agreed Record of conclusions defining a reciprocal fisheries
arrangement for 1999.
These consultations were held on the basis of the Agreement on Fisheries Relations between the
European Community and the Republic of Estonia, signed in Brussels on 19 December 1996.
The fisheries arrangement for 1999 provides for, inter alia, certain catch quotas for Community
vessels in the Estonian fishing zone in theframeworkof the exchange offishingpossibilities and
reciprocal access quotas.
The purpose of this proposal for a regulation is to allocate among Member States the quotas
available in 1999 to Community vessels fishing in the Estonian 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.
Estonia is compensated for the quotas obtained in its waters by way of a financial contribution of
ECU 519,000, in accordance with Article 4 of the Agreement on Fisheries Relations between
the European Community and the Republic of Estonia.
                                                 £
 ---pagebreak---                                               Proposal for a
                           COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No                         / 99
                                          of.... December 1998
                      allocating for 1999 catch quotas between Member States
                                 for vessels fishing in Estonian 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 aquaculture1, and in particular Article 8 (4) thereof,
Having 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 Estonia2, and in particular Articles 3 and
6 thereof, the Community and Estonia have held consultations concerning their mutual fishing
rights for 1999 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 1999 should be fixed for the vessels of the
other Party;
Whereas the necessary measures should be taken to implement, for 1999, the results of the
consultations held with Estonia;
Whereas to ensure efficient management of the catch possibilities available in Estonian waters,
quotas should be allocated among Member States in accordance with Article 8 of Council
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 commonfisheriespolicy3;
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 847/964,
were not agreed with Estonia;
1
          OJ No L 389,31.12.1992, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) n° 1181/98 (OJ No L
164, 9.6.1998, p. 1).
2
         OJ No L 332, 20.12.1996, p. 16
3
         OJ No L 261,20.10.1993, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) n° 2205/97 (OJ No L 304,
7.11.1997, p. 1).
4
         OJNoL 115,9.5.1996, p. 3
                                                      3
 ---pagebreak--- Whereas, for imperative reasons of common interest, this Regulation will apply from 1 January
1999,
IIAS ADOPTED TlIIS REGULATION:
                                            Article 1
From 1 January to 31 December 1999 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 Estonia.
                                            Article 2
The financial contribution provided for in Article 4 of the Agreement on fisheries relations
between the European Community and the Republic of Estonia shall be set for the period
referred to in Article 1 at ECU 519,000, payable to an account designated by Estonia.
                                            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 forcé on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the
European Communities. It shall apply from 1 January 1999.
        This Regulation shaH be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member
         States.
        Done at Brussels,.... December 1998.
                                                               For the Council
                                                               The President
                                                9
 ---pagebreak---                                          ANNEX
           Allocation of Community catch quotas in Estonian waters for 1999
       (in metric tonnes, fresh round weight; for salmon: numbers of individual fish)
    Species             ICES               Community                 Quotas allocated
                       division            catch quotas             to Member States
      Cod                111(d)                   500          Denmark                  186
                                                               Finland                   80
                                                               Germany                   84
                                                               Sweden                   150
  •
    Herring              Ill(d)                 3,000          Denmark                1,431
                                                               Finland                    0
                                                               Germany                1,073
                                                               Sweden                   496
    Salmon               111(d)                  6,750         Denmark                2,626
                                                               Finland                2,526
                                                               Germany                  292
                                                               Sweden                 1,306
      Sprat              111(d)                 13,000         Denmark                7,560
                                                               Finland                    0
    '                                                          Germany                2,010
I                                                              Sweden                 3,430
                                              S
 ---pagebreak---                     FINANCIAL STATEMENT
1. TITLE:         Proposal for a Council Regulation-allocating for 1999 catch quotas
                  between Member States for vessels fishing in Estonian 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
                  Estonian waters;
           •      supply the Community market; and
           •      decrease thefishingeffort in Community waters.
   4.2     Period covered:       Year 1999
5. CLASSIFICATION OF EXPENDITURE:
   5.1    DO
   5.2    CD
6. TYPE OF EXPENDITURE:
   Financial compensation paid forfishingpossibilities in Estonian waters.
7. FINANCIAL CONSEQUENCES:                       ECU 519,000
   The financial compensation provided for in Article 4 of the Agreement has been
   negotiated on the basis of average landing prices for 1997 in Community ports in the
   Baltic Sea. A deduction has been made for estimated fleet exploitation costs for each of
   the species.
                                           4
 ---pagebreak---         7.1      Method of calculation:
                                           COD             SALMON           HERRING       SPRAT
 Quota obtained (in tonnes)                1,000'             33.75           3,000        13,000
                                                         (6,750 units)
 Weighted average landing prices            1,096             2,397            166           100
 1997(ECU/tonne)                                7
 Market value (in ECUs)                  1,096,000           80,899          498,000      1,300,000
 Negotiated (percentage)                    25%               25%             12.5%         12.5%
 In ECUs                                  274,000            20,250           62,250       162,500  1
        500 tons allocated in Estonia waters and 500 tons transferred to Community waters
                       Totalfinancialcompensation (Article 4): ECU 519,000
                                    Average price ECU/tonne: 30.47
8.      ANTI-FRAUD PROVISIONS:
        The financial contribution granted by the Coftimunity is utilised by Estonia to develop its
         fisheries sector in accordance with Article 4 of the Agreement. The amount is
         administered by the Estonian Fisheries Fund.
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 thefinancialcompensation, similar to that paid in previous
        years, has mainly been used by Estonia for the continued improvement of scientific
        research on fisheries and the training of fisheries managers and control activities. This
        has entailed improved scientific assessment and enforcement in the fishery zone of
        Estonia 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.
                                                          Ï
 ---pagebreak---  ---pagebreak---                                                                 ISSN 0254-1475
                                                           COM(98) 685 final
                                              DOCUMENTS
EN                                                           03 07 11 14
                                    Catalogue number : CB-CO-98-694-EN-C
Office for Official Publications of the European Communities
L 2(:<l .5 I ix mbourg