CELEX: 51996PC0404
Language: en
Date: 1996-07-26
Title: Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) amending Council Regulation (EC) No 3075/95 laying down, for 1996, certain measures for the conservation and management of fishery resources applicable to vessels flying the flag of Norway

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                             Brussels, 26.07.1996
                                             COM(%) 404 final
                              Proposal for a
                    COUNCIL REGITTATTON (EC)
  amending Council Regulation (EC) No 3075/95 laying down, for 1996,
certain measures for the conservation and management of fishery resources
              applicable to vessels flying the flag of Norway
                      (presented by the Commission)
 ---pagebreak---  ---pagebreak---                    EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
Under Council Regulation (EC) No 3075/95, Norway was granted a certain
quota for North Sea herring in Community fishing waters for 1996. The
quota was set on the basis of a TAC which was agreed upon between the
Community and Norway on the basis of the then available scientific
information.
According to the most recent scientific information from the Advisory
Committee for Fisheries Management of the International Council for the
Exploration of the Sea, the North Sea herring stock is declining so
dramatically that a moratorium will be inevitable in the years to come, unless
rapid action is taken in 1 996 to reduce the fishing mortality and rebuild the
spawning stock. Such action should consist of a 5 0 % reduction in the North
Sea TAC set for 1996 and a 5 0 % reduction in the fishing mortality rate on
North Sea herring taken in other fisheries.
In view of this situation, the Community and Norway held consultations, in
the framework of the bilateral fisheries agreement, on 12 June 1996, in
order to agree on the appropriate measures for this joint stock. These
consultations resulted in an agreement to reduce, inter alia, the current North
Sea TAC by 5 0 % and to reduce the corresponding quotas for each Party
accordingly. Consequently, the Norwegian catch quota for North Sea herring
in Community fishing waters is to be reduced from 50,000 tonnes to 45,240
tonnes.
Under Council Regulation (EC) No 3075/95, Norway was also granted certain
quotas for plaice and blue whiting in Community waters for 1996. The
fishery arrangements agreed upon by the Community and Norway for 1996
provides for the possibility to consider a further transfer of plaice from
Norway to the Community after 1 August 1996.
Following a request from an interested Member State, further consultations
were held with Norway, which resulted in an agreement to transfer, by 1
August 1996, 1,250 tonnes of plaice from Norway to the Community in
exchange for a transfer of an equivalent quantity of 10,000 tonnes of blue
whiting from the Community to Norway. Consequently, the Norwegian
quota for plaice in Community fishing waters is to be reduced from 2,460
tonnes to 1,210 tonnes and the Norwegian quota for blue whiting in
Community fishing waters is to be increased from 249,000 tonnes to
259,000 tonnes.
The objective of this proposal is to implement the measures agreed with
Norway and to amend the above mentioned Council Regulation accordingly.
 ---pagebreak---                                                      Proposal for a
                            COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No
         amending Council Regulation (EC) No 3075/95 laying down, for 1996,
      certain measures for the conservation and management of fishery resources
                         applicable to vessels flying the flag of Norway
 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' 11 and, in particular,
Article 8(4) thereof,
having regard to the proposal from the Commission,
Whereas Council Regulation (EC) No 3075/95 ( 2 ) allocates, for 1996, certain catch
quotas to vessels flying the flag of Norway in Community waters;
Whereas a catch quota of 50,000 tonnes of herring was allocated to Norway in
Community fishing waters in ICES Divisions IVa and IVb for 1996; whereas this
quota has to be reduced in order to reflect the reduction in the underlying North
Sea TAC for herring;
Whereas the most recent scientific information and, in particular, the report of the
Advisory Committee for Fisheries Management of the International Council for the
Exploration of the Sea, indicates that North Sea herring stock is outside safe
biological limits and that, in order to protect this stock, it is necessary to take rapid
management measures, including, inter alia, a 5 0 % reduction in the relevant TAC;
Whereas, in accordance with the procedure provided for in Articles 2 and 7 of the
Fisheries Agreement between the European Economic Community and the Kingdom
of Norway' 3 ', the Parties have held consultations on the urgent measures which are
required in the light of the new scientific information; whereas these consultations
have been concluded successfully and, as a result, the aforementioned catch quota
has been reduced;
Whereas the fishery arrangements agreed upon by the Community and Norway for
1996 provide for the possibility to consider a further transfer of plaice from Norway
to the Community after 1 August 1996;
          OJ No L 389, 3 1 . 1 2 . 1 9 9 2 , p. 1. Regulation as amended by the 1994 Act of Accession.
 (.2;
          OJ No L 3 3 0 , 3 0 . 1 2 . 1 9 9 5 , p. 43.
 (3)
          OJ No L 226, 29.8.1980, p. 48.
                                                              3
 ---pagebreak--- Whereas further consultations were held with Norway, which led to an agreement
to transfer, by 1 August 1996, 1,250 tonnes of plaice from Norway to the
Community in exchange for a transfer of 10,000 tonnes of blue whiting from the
Community to Norway; whereas, as a result of this agreement, these quotas have
to be modified accordingly;
Whereas it is now necessary to implement these agreed measures;
Whereas it is for the Council to lay down the specific conditions under which such
catches must be taken,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
                                      Article 1
In Annex I to Council Regulation (EC) No 3075/95, the figures relating to plaice,
blue whiting and herring shall be replaced by those set out in the Annex to this
Regulation.
                                      Article 2
This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following its publication in the
Official Journal of the European Communities.
 However, the amendments relating to plaice and blue whiting shall apply from
 1 August 1996.
       This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all
       Member States.
        Done at Brussels,
                                                            For the Council
                                                            The President
 ---pagebreak---                            ANNEX
              Norwegian catch quotas for 1996
  '       .
      peGies
                      Area within which           Q * **t
                    fishing is authorised           un y       ^
     "Plaice               ICES IV                 1,210"
                     ICES
"Blue whiting             Vlb I N VM^ , a ( 2 ' 259,000(9H10)"
    "Herring             ICES IVa, b             45,240(16>"
                                   5
 ---pagebreak---  ---pagebreak---                                                                    ISSN 0254-1475
                                                            COM(96) 404 final
                                              DOCUMENTS
EN                                                                       03 11
                                    Catalogue number : CB-CO-96-396-EN-C
                                                             ISBN 92-78-07666-X
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