CELEX: 51997PC0663
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 Latvian waters

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                       Brussels, 04.12.1997
                                       COM(97) 663 final
                      Proposal for a
            COUNCIL REGULATION (EC)
allocating for 1998 catch quotas between Member States
           for vessels fishing in Latvian waters
            (presented by the Commission)
 ---pagebreak---  ---pagebreak---                               EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
 Consultations between the Community and Latvia took place in Riga from 23 to 24 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 Latvia, signed in Brussels on 19
December 1996.
The fisheries arrangement for 1998 provides for, inter alia, certain catch quotas for Community
vessels in the Latvian fishing zone in theframeworkof 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 vessels fishing in the Latvian 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.
Latvia is compensated for the quotas obtained in its waters by way of afinancialcontribution of
ECU 430,300, in accordance with Article 4 of the Agreement on Fisheries Relations between the
European Community and the Republic of Latvia.
 ---pagebreak---                                                Proposal for a
                            COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No                       /98
                                          of.... December 1997
                      allocating for 1998 catch quotas between Member States
                                   for vessels fishing in Latvian 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(1), 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 Latvia ', and in particular Articles 3 and
6 thereof, the Community and Latvia 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 be fixed for the vessels of the
other Party;
Whereas the necessary measures should be taken to implement, for 1998, the results of the
consultations held with Latvia;
Whereas to ensure efficient management of the catch possibilities available in Latvian waters,
quotas should be allocated among 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 commonfisheriespolicy* ,
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 Latvia,
(i)
        OJ No L 389, 31.12.1992, p. 1. Regulation as amended by the 1994 Act of Accession.
(2)
        OJNoL 332,20.12.1996, p. 1.
(3)
        OJNo L 261,20.10.1993, p. 1.
(4)
        OJ No L I 15, 9.5.1996, p. 3.
 ---pagebreak---  Whereas, for imperative reasons of common interest, this Regulation will apply from 1 January
 1998,
 HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
                                             Article 1
From 1 January to 31 December 1998, vessels flying the flag of a Member State are hereby
authorised to make catches within the quota limits set out in the Annex in waters falling within
thefisheriesjurisdiction of Latvia.
                                             Article 2
The financial contribution provided for in Article 4 of the Agreement on fisheries relations
between the European Community and the Republic of Latvia shall be set for the period referred
to in Article 1 at ECU 430,300, payable to an account designated by Latvia.
                                            Article 3
Stocks referred to in the Annex shall not be subject to the conditions laid down in Articles 2, 3
and 5 (2) of 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
 ---pagebreak---                                         ANNEX
         Allocation of Community catch quotas in Latvian waters for 1998
     (in metric tonnes, fresh round weight; for salmon: numbers of individual fish)
 Spcies        I      ÎCES       •- *    Conmutijft$g£&
                     division     '
                                                                 ^t««aîltéated
                                         catch quollspf;          to Member States
   Cod
Herring
Salmon
Sprat
 ---pagebreak---                       FINANCIAL STATEMENT
 1.  TITLE:         Proposal for a Council Regulation allocating for 1998 catch quotas
                    between Member States for vessels fishing in Latvian 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:
            •      rnaintain and develop the traditional activity of Community fishermen in
                   Latvian waters;
            •      supply the Community market;
            •      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 Latvian waters.
7.  FINANCIAL CONSEQUENCES:                        ECU 430,300
    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:
                                                     4É^fflH                           *   SPRAT
  Quota obtained (in tonnes)              1,400            32,5             1,200           6,500
  Weighted average landing prices          908            2,284            166.81           84.75
  1996(ECU/tonne)
 Market value (in ECUs)                 1,271,200        74,230           200,172          550,875
 Negotiated (percentage)                   25%            25%              12.5%            12.5%
 In ECUs                                 317,800         18,558           25,020           68,900
                                                            ,i       '
                        Total financial compensation (Article 4): ECU 430,300
                                   Average price ECU/tonne: 47.11
        ANTI-FRAUD PROVISIONS:
        The financial contribution granted by the Community is utilised by Latvia to finance the
        Latvian Fish Fund and the development of bilateral and multilateral cooperation in the
        field of fisheries, in accordance with article 4 of the Agreement. The amount is
        administered by the National Board of Fisheries of the Ministry of Agriculture of the
        Republic of Latvia.
        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 Latvia 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 Latvia and has contributed to a more
        rational exploitation of the stocks, to the benefit of all concerned in the Baltic Sea.
        Tne 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) 663 final
                                              DOCUMENTS
EN                                                                 03 11 14
                                    Catalogue number : CB-CO-97-680-EN-C
                                                              ISBN 92-78-28643-5
Office for Official Publications of the European Communities
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