An apparatus for encoding a multi-view image, the apparatus comprising: a selection unit that obtains a picture in one view image sequence to be encoded by using inter-view prediction from a multi-view image sequence, the image sequences of the multi-view image sequence each comprising a view sequence of pictures, aligned with one other view sequence in time, the obtained picture comprising a non-anchor picture; a determining unit that determines whether the obtained picture in one view image sequence is a reference picture referred to by any other pictures aligned with the obtained picture in time in another view image sequence, among the image sequences of the multi-view image sequence, for inter-view prediction of the other pictures; and an encoding unit that: encodes the obtained picture with determined information that indicates either the obtained picture is a reference picture referred to or not referred to for inter-view prediction of the other pictures aligned with the obtained picture in time in another view image sequence, wherein the information is included in a network abstraction layer unit header; if the obtained picture is determined to be a reference picture referred to for inter-view prediction of the other pictures, encodes the others by using inter-view prediction with the obtained picture as a reference picture, and includes the obtained picture in a reference picture list of the other pictures; and if the obtained picture is determined to be not a reference picture referred to for inter-view prediction of the other pictures, encodes the others by using inter-view prediction without referring to the obtained picture, and does not includes the obtained picture in the reference picture list of the other pictures. a selection unit that obtains a picture in one view image sequence to be encoded by using inter-view prediction from a multi-view image sequence, the image sequences of the multi-view image sequence each comprising a view sequence of pictures, aligned with one other view sequence in time, the obtained picture comprising a non-anchor picture; a determining unit that determines whether the obtained picture in one view image sequence is a reference picture referred to by any other pictures aligned with the obtained picture in time in another view image sequence, among the image sequences of the multi-view image sequence, for inter-view prediction of the other pictures; and an encoding unit that: encodes the obtained picture with determined information that indicates either the obtained picture is a reference picture referred to or not referred to for inter-view prediction of the other pictures aligned with the obtained picture in time in another view image sequence, wherein the information is included in a network abstraction layer unit header; if the obtained picture is determined to be a reference picture referred to for inter-view prediction of the other pictures, encodes the others by using inter-view prediction with the obtained picture as a reference picture, and includes the obtained picture in a reference picture list of the other pictures; and if the obtained picture is determined to be not a reference picture referred to for inter-view prediction of the other pictures, encodes the others by using inter-view prediction without referring to the obtained picture, and does not includes the obtained picture in the reference picture list of the other pictures. encodes the obtained picture with determined information that indicates either the obtained picture is a reference picture referred to or not referred to for inter-view prediction of the other pictures aligned with the obtained picture in time in another view image sequence, wherein the information is included in a network abstraction layer unit header; if the obtained picture is determined to be a reference picture referred to for inter-view prediction of the other pictures, encodes the others by using inter-view prediction with the obtained picture as a reference picture, and includes the obtained picture in a reference picture list of the other pictures; and if the obtained picture is determined to be not a reference picture referred to for inter-view prediction of the other pictures, encodes the others by using inter-view prediction without referring to the obtained picture, and does not includes the obtained picture in the reference picture list of the other pictures.