Proposal for a Council Regulation amending for the second time Regulation (EC) No 48/1999 fixing, for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks, the total allowable catches for 1999 and certain conditions under which they may be fishe
EN COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES Brussels, 30. 11. 1999 COM(1999) 637 final Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION amending for the second time Regulation (EC) No. 48/1999 fixing, for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks, the total allowable catches for 1999 and certain conditions under which they may be fished (presented by the Commission) EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM The TACs for the stocks of Norway lobster in the North Sea and in the Skagerrak, the Kattegat and ICES area IIIbcd and of sprat in ICES areas IIa (EC waters) and North Sea (EC waters), which are subject to a precautionary TAC, appear insufficient to maintain exploitation for the whole of 1999. In accordance with the provisions laid down in Regulation (EC) No 847/961, precautionary TACs may be reviewed on request by a Member State and under conditions stipulated in Article 3(1) therein. The United Kingdom and Denmark have presented requests to raise the TACs in the North Sea and in Skagerrak and Kattegat, respectively, giving the necessary data to justify the application. Moreover, the observed large abundance of cod in the Kattegat is likely to result in massive discarding of fish following an early exhaustion of the TAC. According to the most recent scientific evidence, catches from this stock may be increased in 1999 while still keeping with the conservation principles underlying the current TAC. Moreover, within the framework of the bilateral consultations on the reciprocal fishing rights between the Community and Poland for 1999, the Community share for Baltic sprat have been modified. This proposal intends to address these matters by modifying Council Regulation (EC) N° 48/1999. 1 OJ L115 of 9. 5. 1996, p. 3. 2 Proposal for a COUNCIL REGULATION amending for the second time Regulation (EC) No. 48/1999 fixing, for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks, the total allowable catches for 1999 and certain conditions under which they may be fished THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No. 3760/92 of 20 December 1992 establishing a Community system for fisheries and aquaculture2, and in particular Article 8 (4) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Whereas : (1) (2) Regulation (EC) No. 48/19993 fixes, for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks, the TACs for 1999 and certain conditions under which they may be fished; In accordance with the provisions laid down in Regulation (EC) No 847/96 of the Council of 6 May 1996 introducing additional conditions for year-to-year management of TACs and quotas 4, precautionary TACs may be raised under conditions stipulated in Article 3(1) therein; whereas those conditions are satisfied for the stocks of Norway lobster in the North Sea and in the Skagerrak, the Kattegat and ICES area IIIbcd and of sprat in ICES areas IIa (EC waters) and North Sea (EC waters); (3) According to the most recent scientific evidence, the TAC for cod in the Kattegat for 1999 may be increased while still keeping with conservation principles; (4) Within the framework of the bilateral consultations on the reciprocal fishing rights between the Community and Poland for 1999, the Community share for Baltic sprat have been modified; (5) Council Regulation (EC) No 48/1999 should therefore be amended accordingly, 2 3 4 OJ L 389 of 31. 12. 1992, p. 1. Regulation as amended by the 1994 Act of Accession. OJ L 13 of 18. 01. 1999, p. 1. Regulation as amended by Regulation (EC) 1570/1999 (OJ L 187 20. 07. 1999, p. 5). OJ L 115 of 9. 5. 1996, p. 3. 3 HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 The Annex to this Regulation replaces the corresponding elements of the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 48/1999. Article 2 This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities. This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States. Done at Brussels, For the Council The President 4 Annex Species: Cod Zone: Kattegat Gadusmorhua België / Belgique Danmark Deutschland 4 320 90 Ellada España France Ireland Italia Luxembourg Nederland Österreich Portugal Suomi/Finland Sverige 2 590 United Kingdom EC TAC 7 000 7 000 Species: Norway lobster Zone: Skagerrak and Kattegat (1), IIIbcd (1) Nephropsnorvegicus België / Belgique Danmark Deutschland 3 675 (2) 10 (3) (1) (2) Community waters No fishing of this quota may take place, in the Skagerrak, within 4 miles of the baselines of the Kingdom of Norway (3) No fishing of this quota may take place, in the Skagerrak, within 12 miles of the baselines of the Kingdom of Norway Ellada España France Ireland Italia Luxembourg Nederland Österreich Portugal Suomi/Finland Sverige 1 315 (2) United Kingdom EC TAC 5 000 5 000 5 Species: Norway lobster Zone: IIa (1), North Sea (1) Nephropsnorvegicus (1) Community waters 900 900 15 25 465 België / Belgique Danmark Deutschland Ellada España France Ireland Italia Luxembourg Nederland Österreich Portugal Suomi/Finland Sverige United Kingdom 14 895 EC TAC 17 200 17 200 Species: Sprat Zone: IIa (1), North Sea (1) Sprattussprattus België / Belgique 2 370 Danmark Deutschland 187 380 2 370 (1) (2) Community waters Including sandeel Ellada España France Ireland Italia Luxembourg Nederland Österreich Portugal Suomi/Finland 2 370 2 370 Sverige 1 330 (2) United Kingdom 7 810 EC TAC 206 000 225 000 6 Species: Sprat Zone: IIIbcd (1) Sprattussprattus België / Belgique Danmark Deutschland 48064 30450 (1) (2) Community waters Of which no more than 8000 t may be fished in the Estonian zone, no more than 6000 t in the Latvian zone, and no more than 4000 t in the Lithuanian zone (3) Whenever consumption of this quota had reached a level of 105917 t, the remainder 4000 tonnes may only be taken in waters under the sovereignty or jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Sweden Ellada España France Ireland Italia Luxembourg Nederland Österreich Portugal Suomi/Finland 25160 Sverige 109916 (3) United Kingdom EC TAC 213590 (2) 468000 7