Arrangements for the management of fishing effort in the Baltic Sea

1996/0244(CNS)
OBJECTIVE: the proposed regulation introduces a system for monitoring and managing fishing effort in the Baltic Sea, having regard to the enlargement of the Community to include Sweden and Finland and the gradual integration of these two countries into the common fisheries policy. SUBSTANCE: Under the Act of Accession of Austria, Finland and Sweden, the transitional arrangements governing access applies until the implementation of the Community fishing permit system (and not later than 31 December 2002). The introduction of this system, which is set out in Regulation (EC) No 1627/94, entails the definition of Community measures laying down the conditions for access to waters and fisheries. This is the purpose of the proposal. More specifically, the Commission initially provides for the termination of the transitional arrangements governing access to the waters of the Baltic Sea by establishing arrangements for fishing effort in the areas of the Baltic Sea falling under the sovereignty or within the jurisdiction of the Member States. These arrangements provide for the a posteriori monitoring by the Member States of the fishing effort deployed by Community vessels in the fisheries concerned, mainly through -the defining of fisheries in the Baltic Sea, -the preparation by the Member States of lists of named vessels flying their respective flags and authorized to enter the fisheries, -the issue of special fishing permits by the Member States to vessels flying their flag authorized to fish in those fisheries, -the amendment of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93 establishing a control system applicable to the CFP, in particular as regards the recording of data on fishing effort in the logbook, the procedures for sending the lists of named vessels to the Commission, the collection of data on fishing effort by the Member States and the forwarding of the assembled data on fishing effort to the Commission.�