No L 97/28 Official Journal of the European Communities 12. 4. 97 COMMISSION DECISION of 4 April 1997 on setting up a special aquaculture section of the Advisory Committee on Fisheries (97/247/EC) THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Whereas it is important to seek the views of the trade and of consumers on various aspects of a Community system for fisheries and aquaculture, in the aquaculture sector; Whereas an Advisory Committee on Fisheries was set up in the fisheries sector by Commission Decision 71/128/EEC ("), which text has last been replaced by Decision 89/4/EEC (3; Whereas in view of the development of the aquaculture industry, of its economic importance and of certain of its special features, a special aquaculture section of the Ad- visory Committee on Fisheries should be set up to im- prove opportunities for consulting the industry; Whereas, in order to ensure that consultation in the fish- eries and aquaculture sector is coordinated, the section should be chaired by the chairman of the Advisory Committee on Fisheries, and joint meetings of the Ad- visory Committee of Fisheries and the special aquaculture section should be organized whenever necessary, HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: Article 1 1.  There shall be attached to the Commission a special aquaculture section of the Advisory Committee on Fish- eries, hereinafter called ‘the Section’. 2. The Section shall be composed of representatives of the following interests, connected with the aquaculture sector: producers and cooperatives, credit institutions, trade and industry, workers and consumers. Article 2 1. The Section may be consulted by the Commission on any problem concerning aquaculture, and in particular on measures it is required to adopt for the aquaculture () OJ No L 68, 22. 3. 1971, p. 18. () O] No L S, 7. 1. 1989, p. 33. sector in the framework of the common policy on fish- eries and aquaculture. 2. The chairman of the Section may indicate to the Commission the desirability of consulting the Section on any matter within the latter's competence. 3. He shall do so, in particular, at the request of one of the interests represented. Article 3 The Section shall consist of 20 members. Seats shall be apportioned as follows: — 13 to representatives of aquaculture producers and cooperatives, including at least four to representatives of producers and cooperatives engaged in the produc- tion of molluscs, — three to representatives of the trade in and processing of aquaculture products, — two to representatives of workers in the aquaculture sector, — one joint seat to a representative of commercial banks and specialized cooperative credit institutions, — one to a consumers representative. Article 4 1.  Members of the Section shall be appointed by the Commission on proposals from the trade organizations and other bodies set up at Community level which are most representative of the interests specified in Article 1 (2). Those bodies shall, for each seat to be filled, put forward the names of two candidates of different na- tionality. 2. The term of office for members of the Section shall be three years, except the first term of office, which shall expire at the end of the term of office of the members of the Advisory Committee on Fisheries. Their appoint- ments may be renewed. Members shall not be remu- nerated for their services. After expiry of the three years, members of the Section shall remain in office until they are replaced or until their appointments are renewed. A member’s term of office may be terminated before expiry of the three years by death or resignation.