COMMISSION DECISION of 22 December 1995 on a multiannual guidance programme for the fishing fleet of Finland for the period 1995 to 1996 pursuant to Council Regulation (EC) No 3699/93 (Only the Finnish text is authentic) (96/73/EC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 3699/93 of 21 December 1993 laying down the criteria and arrangements regarding Community structural assistance in the fisheries and aquaculture sector and the processing and marketing of its products (1), and particular Article 6 (5) and (6) thereof,
Whereas in the application of the provisions of Article 11 of Regulation (EEC) No 3760/92 (2) the Council adopted Decision 95/577/EC (3) relating to the objectives and detailed rules for restructuring the fisheries sector in Sweden and Finland over the period 1 January 1995 to 31 December 1996 with a view to achieving a lasting balance between the resources and their exploitation;
Whereas account must be taken of an annual increase of 2 % in fishing effort linked to technical progress;
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 the data on the fleet for the purposes of this programme are gathered according to the procedures laid down by Commission Regulation (EC) No 109/94 (4);
Whereas the measures provided for in the present Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture,
The multiannual guidance programme for the fishing fleet for the period 1995 to 1996 is hereby approved subject to the conditions laid down in this Decision and provided that those conditions are met.
In order to ensure a durable balance between fishery resources and the fishing effort of the Community fleet, Finland has segmented its fishing fleet as shown in the Annex. The following coefficients shall be applied to the effort of the segments thus obtained:
- 8 % to segments practising bottom trawling in teams or using an otter trawl and fishing for demersal stocks,
- 6 % to dredgers and beam trawlers for benthic stocks,
- 0 % i.e. zero growth in other segments.
These reductions shall apply to the situation of the fleet at 1 January 1995 as indicated by the data collected according to the procedures laid down by Regulation (EC) No 109/94.
1. The reduction in fishing effort may result from the combined effect of reductions in capacity and reductions in activity.
2. At least 55 % of the overall objective of the programme, defined as the sum of the partial objectives for each segment, must be achieved by means of reductions in capacity.
3. The remainder may be achieved by means of measures to reduce activity, such as restrictions in time at sea, provided that they are based on permanent laws and administrative provisions accepted by the Commission and techniques approved by the Commission.
4. The final objectives for each segment and the annual intermediate indicative objectives shall be determined in accordance with points 2 and 4 of the additional provisions in the Annex.
At the latest by 31 March of each year for the previous year ending on 31 December, Finland shall forward to the Commission, in respect of each segment of the fishing fleet defined in the Annex, information on the number of vessels commissioned, the tonnage and engine power added and withdrawn, as the case may by, and the fishing effort by homogeneous groups of vessels, with their annual variations, pursuant to the special provisions of the programme.
Such information shall tally with the information forwarded in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 109/94 concerning the fishing vessel register of the Community.
This Decision is addressed to the Republic of Finland.