An apparatus for predictive-decoding a multi-view image, the apparatus comprising: a receiving unit that receives a bitstream comprising: data about a multi-view image sequence, and information indicating either a picture in one view image sequence included in the multi-view image sequence is a reference picture referred to or not referred to by any pictures aligned with the picture in time in another view image among image sequences included in the multi-view image sequence for inter-view prediction of the other pictures, the image sequences of the multi-view image sequence each comprising a sequence of pictures, aligned with one another in time, the picture comprising a non-anchor picture; an extraction unit that extracts the information from a network abstraction layer unit header, the received information indicating either the picture in one view image sequence included in multi-view image sequences is a reference picture or not a reference picture for inter-view prediction of the other pictures and extracts the data about the multi-view image sequence from the received bitstream; and a decoding unit that decodes the data by: determining whether the picture included in the data about the multi-view image sequence is to be used for inter-view prediction decoding of the other pictures based on the extracted information indicating either the picture included in multi-view image sequence is a reference picture or not a reference picture for inter-view prediction of the other pictures; if the picture is determined to be a reference picture for inter-view prediction of the other pictures, performing predictive-decoding of the other pictures by referring to the picture; and if the picture is determined to be not a reference picture for inter-view prediction of the other pictures, performing predictive-decoding of the other pictures without referring to the picture. a receiving unit that receives a bitstream comprising: data about a multi-view image sequence, and information indicating either a picture in one view image sequence included in the multi-view image sequence is a reference picture referred to or not referred to by any pictures aligned with the picture in time in another view image among image sequences included in the multi-view image sequence for inter-view prediction of the other pictures, the image sequences of the multi-view image sequence each comprising a sequence of pictures, aligned with one another in time, the picture comprising a non-anchor picture; an extraction unit that extracts the information from a network abstraction layer unit header, the received information indicating either the picture in one view image sequence included in multi-view image sequences is a reference picture or not a reference picture for inter-view prediction of the other pictures and extracts the data about the multi-view image sequence from the received bitstream; and a decoding unit that decodes the data by: determining whether the picture included in the data about the multi-view image sequence is to be used for inter-view prediction decoding of the other pictures based on the extracted information indicating either the picture included in multi-view image sequence is a reference picture or not a reference picture for inter-view prediction of the other pictures; if the picture is determined to be a reference picture for inter-view prediction of the other pictures, performing predictive-decoding of the other pictures by referring to the picture; and if the picture is determined to be not a reference picture for inter-view prediction of the other pictures, performing predictive-decoding of the other pictures without referring to the picture. determining whether the picture included in the data about the multi-view image sequence is to be used for inter-view prediction decoding of the other pictures based on the extracted information indicating either the picture included in multi-view image sequence is a reference picture or not a reference picture for inter-view prediction of the other pictures; if the picture is determined to be a reference picture for inter-view prediction of the other pictures, performing predictive-decoding of the other pictures by referring to the picture; and if the picture is determined to be not a reference picture for inter-view prediction of the other pictures, performing predictive-decoding of the other pictures without referring to the picture.