Letter from Tony Baldry, MP, Ministry of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Food, to Lord Tordoff, Chairman of the Committee
9999/96-Draft Proposals for a Council Regulation Amending
Council Regulation No. 3760/92 Establishing a Community System
for Fisheries and Aquaculture
Thank you for your letter of 13 November[1] about
the above proposal. I am sorry for the delay in replying but,
as you will be aware, I have been rather pre-occupied recently
with the 1997 fisheries TACs and quotas regulations.
I share your concerns about the proposed transfer of power
from the Council to the Commission. As yet, there has been no
discussion of the proposal in the Fisheries Council and we have
been given no indication so far that it will feature on the agenda
of either the April or June Councils. However, I will endeavour
to keep you informed of progress.
As regards your question about which Committee procedure
would be employed, the proposal indicates that it would be the
one laid down in Article 18 of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 3760/92.
In simple terms, this means that the Management Committee established
under Article 17 of that Regulation would be required to deliver
an opinion within a time limit set by the Commission. Voting would
be on a qualified majority basis. If the measures are opposed
by the Committee, the Commission is required to inform the Council
and may defer application of the measures for one month, during
which time the Council may take a different decision.
I hope this further information is helpful.
13 January 1997
Letter from Lord Tordoff, Chairman of the Committee,
to Tony Baldry, MP, Minister of State, Ministry of Agriculture,
Fisheries and Food
Thank you for your letter of 13 January replying to my letter
of last year on the above document.
The document has now been considered further by the European
Communities Committee and its Sub-Committee D. The Committee
was pleased to note that there would ultimately be further recourse
to the Council if the Management Committee were to oppose measures
under this proposal. However, the Committee remains concerned
by the proposed transfer of power from the Council to the Commission
on this subject and trusts that Her Majesty's Government will
continue to oppose this change vigorously.
I should be grateful if you would continue to keep us informed
of developments on this matter. In the meantime however, in the
light of your response, Sub-Committee D has cleared the document.
22 January 1997
1 Printed in Correspondence with Ministers, 5th Report, Session 1996-97, p. 34. Back
