1. MAGP IV (7833/96) RESTRUCTURING THE FISHERIES SECTOR
(7827/96) AND GUIDANCE PROGRAMMES FOR FISHING FLEETS
Letter from Tony Baldry, MP, Minister of State, Ministry
of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, to Lord Tordoff, Chairman
of the Committee
I am writing to inform you of two Presidency compromise texts
which will be discussed at the Fisheries Council tomorrow.
Proposal for a Council Decision concerning the objectives
and detailed rules for restructuring the Community Fisheries sector
for the period from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2002 with a
view to achieving a balance on a sustainable basis between resources
and their exploitation (7827/96)
Thank you for your letter of 13 November[1]; which concerned, in part, the above proposal. As you requested, I am
writing to keep you informed of developments in Council negotiations.
The Fisheries Council on 22 November will consider the attached
Presidency compromise text relating to this proposal for a Council
Decision concerning the objectives and detailed rules for restructuring
the Community Fisheries sector (MAGP IV). This only became available
on the evening of 18 November and has been the subject of a single
preliminary exchange of views at COREPER on 19 November. The compromise
text contains a number of new elements as compared to the Commission's
original proposals, which remain on the table following the inconclusive
Council discussion on 14 October reported to Parliament at the
time by the customary statement. The main areas of difference
are:
(i) an initial programme of three years only, with consequent
lowering of the rates of reduction required;
(ii) a more flexible approach to fleet segmentation and the
treatment of mixed fisheries;
(iii) achievement of effort reduction targets through effort
management or capacity cuts, or a combination of both;
(iv) an increased exemption (to 10 metres) for small coastal
vessels; and
(v) a delay of six months (to 30 June 1997) for the agreement
of detailed targets and implementing measures at national level.
As things stand it is not possible to give any assessment
of the likely implications of these changes or of the prospects
of the compromise forming the basis of any agreement. The Government's
position remains that we want progress in finding solutions to
the quota hopper issue before we can consider further cuts in
the UK fleet. We also want to be satisfied that any new MAGP is
necessary, fair and workable.
Proposal for a Council Regulation Amending Regulation
No. 2847/93 establishing a control system applicable to the Common
Fisheries Policy (7701/96)
Further to my letter of 14 October,[2] the Committee
will wish to be aware that the Presidency has also produced a
compromise proposal on satellite monitoring of Community fishing
vessels on which they hope to reach political agreement at the
November Fisheries Council. The new proposals meets all the UK's
main negotiating objectives. The main changes from the Commission's
original proposal are:
(i) more realistic implementation dates. Application will
start on 30 June 1998 for vessels involved in particularly sensitive
fisheries - for example industrial fishing - with the remainder
following on 1 January 2000;
(ii) application is restricted to vessels over 24 metres overall
length, with provision to review the need for smaller vessels
by 31 December 2001;
(iii) exemption for all vessels which operate exclusively
within 12 miles of the coast and those which never spend more
than 24 hours at sea;
(iv) where there is a reciprocal access agreement with third
countries, satellite monitoring will only apply to Community vessels
fishing in those third country waters if there is a reciprocal
agreement that the relevant third country vessels carry satellites
in Community waters; and
(v) simultaneous reporting to flag and coastal States when
a vessel is operating in another Member State's waters
A copy of the Presidency compromise text is enclosed.[3]
21 November 1996
Letter from Tony Baldry, MP, Minister of State, Ministry
of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, to Lord Tordoff, Chairman
of the Committee
Further to my letter of 21 November, I am writing to let
you know of developments at the December Fisheries Council on
the proposals for satellite monitoring of Community fishing vessels
and restructuring the Community fisheries sector (MAGP IV).
Proposal for a Council Regulation amending Regulation
No. 2847/93 establishing a control system applicable to the Common
Fisheries Policy (7701/96)
The revised proposal which was agreed at the December Fisheries
Council represents a significant improvement on the original
proposal and meets the UK's main negotiating objectives. The proposal
agreed at the Council:
(i) applies more realistic implementation dates. Application
will start on 30 June 1998 for vessels involved in sensitive
fisheries, with the remainder following on 1 January 2000;
(ii) restricts application to vessels over 24 metres overall
length;
(iii) exempts all vessels which operate exclusively within
12 miles of the coast and those which never spend more than 24
hours at sea;
(iv) where there is a reciprocal access agreement with third
countries, satellite monitoring will only apply to Community
vessels fishing in those third country waters if there is a reciprocal
agreement that the relevant third country vessels carry satellite
monitoring equipment in Community waters; and
(v) ensures that there is simultaneous reporting to flag
and coastal States when a vessel is operating in another Member
State's waters.
We also secured agreement that:
(i) the issue of skippers' liability in respect of genuine
equipment failures will be addressed in the detailed rules which
are to be drawn up for the operation of satellite monitoring systems;
and
(ii) the Council and Commission should explore, in the light
of satellite monitoring, ways in which the regulatory burden
on fishermen can be reduced, with the Commission committed to
producing a report to Council by end March 1997.
The proposal as agreed at Council is expected to be formally
adopted shortly.
Proposal for a Council Decision concerning the objectives
and detailed rules for restructuring the Community Fisheries
sector for the period from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2002
(7827/96)
The Council continued its discussion of objectives for the
next series of Multi-Annual Guidance Programmes (MAGP IV). I
reiterated the need for the quota hopper problem to be resolved
before I could contemplate any further reductions in the capacity
or effort of the UK fleet. Other Member States continued to have
substantive concerns on various aspects of the proposals, though
there was a broad consensus that the Presidency compromise tabled
in November remained the most promising basis for progress. The
Council concluded that further work should be done with a view
to reaching decisions by 30 April 1997.
12 January 1997
1 Published in Correspondence with Ministers, 5th Report, Session 1996-97, p. 20. Back
2 Not printed. Back
3 Not printed. Back
