92/593/EEC: Commission Decision of 21 December 1992 on a multiannual guidance programme for the fishing fleet of the United Kingdom for the period 1993 to 1996 pursuant to Council Regulation (EEC) No 4028/86 (Only the English text is authentic)

COMMISSION DECISION of 21  December 1992 on a multiannual guidance programme for the fishing fleet of United Kingdom for the  period 1993 to 1996 pursuant to Council Regulation (EEC) N° 4028/86 (Only the English text is  authentic) (92/593/EEC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) N° 4028/86 of 18 December 1986 on Community measures to  improve and adapt structures in the fisheries and aquaculture sector (1), as last amended by  Regulation (EEC) N° 3946/92 (2),
Whereas Council Regulation (EEC) N° 170/83 of 25 January 1983 establishing a Community system for  the conservation and management of fishery resources (3), and in particular Article 2 (d) thereof,  lists as one of its objectives conservation measures consisting of restricting fishing effort;
Whereas the resolution of the European Parliament on the Commission's 1991 report on the common  fisheries policy (4) refers to the structural adjustment of the fleet through the adoption of a new  generation of MGPs ensuring a reduction in fishing capacity differentiated according to region and  fishery;
Whereas at its meeting of 3 April 1992 the Council concluded that in order to ensure the continuity  of fisheries, one of the objectives of the future common fisheries policy must be to re-establish  the balance between resources and fishing effort, including capacity, and to maintain a balanced  and rational management of resources;
Whereas the Economic and Social Committee, in its opinion on the 1991 report delivered on 27 May  1992,  takes the view that the MGPs are an essential means of matching fishing capacity to  exploitable resources and that further reduction of the Community's fleet must be differentiated;
Whereas on 30 April 1991 the British Government forwarded to the Commission a multiannual guidance  programme for the fishing fleet for the period 1992 to 1996, herinafter called 'the programme`, in  accordance with Article 3 (3) of Regulation (EEC) N° 4028/86; whereas it later forwarded additional  information concerning the programme;
Whereas it is necessary to consider whether the programme fulfils the conditions laid down in  Article 2 of Regulation (EEC) N° 4028/86 and constitutes a suitable framework for Community and  national financial aid for the sector concerned;
Whereas the objectives for reducing fleet capacity fixed on 31 December 1991 in the previous  programme constitute the reference basis for assessing the actual development recorded and the  effort still needed to ensure that the objectives are achieved;
Whereas the Commission adopted a transitional programme for 1992 (5); whereas the objectives fixed  in the British transitional programme should be included in the objectives of the present  programme;
Whereas it is important that the overall reduction in fishing effort judged to be necessary in  order to adapt the Community fleet to available resources should reflect significant reductions in  particular segments of that fleet where an imbalance is most apparent; whereas coefficients for the  reduction of fishing effort, differentiated according to fishery or group of fisheries, should  therefore be applied to the segments of the fleet thus identified;
Whereas account must be taken of an annual increase of 2 % in fishing effort linked to technical  progress;
Whereas available biological and economic analyses suggest that overall reduction in fishing  effort, differentiated for the broad groups of target species, should be of 20 % for demersal  species, 15 % for benthic species and zero growth in effort for pelagic species;
Whereas, in order to attain these objectives and improve fishing methods, reductions in effort  should primarily be focused on segments of the fleet using non-selective gear, particularly those  likely to catch large numbers of juveniles, while ensuring that there is no increase in segments  using more selective gear;.
Whereas, in order to attain the objectives of the programme, it may be necessary to take steps to  influence all the parameters connected with fishing mortality, particularly the capacity and  activity of the fleet; whereas, however, structural measures must be focused chiefly on the  elimination of excess capacity;
Whereas it is necessary to verify that the objectives fixed in the programme are progressively and  coherently met; whereas intermediate and indicative annual objectives should therefore be  determined as a basis for Article 5 of Regulation (EEC) N° 4028/86;
Whereas in addition to the six-monthly transmission by United Kingdom of statements concerning  development of the fishing fleet and, where applicable, its activity, it is necessary to ensure  that these data tally with the information in the Community register of fishing vessels;
Whereas any development that does not comply with the programme objectives would run counter to the  objectives of the common fisheries policy; whereas, therefore, certain specific measures undertaken  under this programme may not warrant Community financial assistance;
Whereas to programme a concerted and balanced reduction in the overall fishing effort of the  Community's fleets requires the Community aid scheme to be focused on measures enabling the  objectives of the programme to be attained within the deadlines laid down; whereas priority  should  also be given to investments aimed at bringing the fleet into line with Community rules on hygiene  and safety and to investments in the development of selective fisheries which cause minimum damage  to the marine environment;
Whereas the measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the  Standing Committee for the Fishing Industry,