Common Fisheries Policy CFP: control, Community financial contribution, 2004-2005

PURPOSE : to establish the conditions under which the Community may grant a financial contribution to Member States for their fisheries control programmes. LEGISLATIVE ACT : Council Decision 2004/465/EC on a Community financial contribution towards Member States fisheries control programmes. CONTENT : the Council adopted this Decision on a Community financial contribution towards Member States fisheries control programmes. The current Decision expired at the end of 2003. This Decision extends the current Decision for two years as the joint inspection structure may come into force at the beginning of 2006. The proposal aims, amongst other things, to finance the decisions on control agreed in the reform of the Common Fisheries Policy and to upgrade rapidly the monitoring structures of the ten new Member States. The German and Swedish delegation abstained. Member States wishing to receive a financial contribution shall notify to the Commission an annual fisheries control programme specifying: the objectives of the programme; the human resources available; the financial resources available; the number of vessels and aircraft available; a list of projects for which a financial contribution is sought; the overall expenditure planned for achieving the projects; a schedule for completion of each project listed in the programme; a list of indicators that will be used to assess the efficacy of the programme. All Member States shall submit their annual fisheries control programme by 1 June 2004 for 2004 and by 31 January 2005 for 2005. The projects for which a financial contribution is sought shall relate to one or more of the following actions: - purchase of, installation and technical assistance for, computer technology and setting up of IT networks in order to allow efficient and secure data exchange in connection with monitoring, control and surveillance of fisheries activities; - purchase and fitting on board of fishing vessels of: i) electronic localisation devices enabling vessels to be monitored at a distance by fisheries monitoring centre through a vessel monitoring system (VMS); ii) electronic recording and reporting devices, allowing data transmission from the vessel; - pilot projects relating to and implementation of new technologies on the control of fisheries activities; - training and exchange programmes of civil servants responsible for monitoring, control and surveillance tasks in the fisheries area; - implementation of pilot inspection and observer schemes; - cost/benefit analysis and assessment of overall expenditure incurred by the competent authorities in carrying out monitoring, control and surveillance of fisheries activities; - initiatives including seminars and media tools aimed at enhancing awareness among fishermen and other players such as inspectors, public prosecutors and judges, as well as among the general public of the need to fight irresponsible and illegal fishing and on the implementation of CFP rules; - purchase and modernisation of vessels and aircraft used for inspection and surveillance of fisheries activities by the competent authorities of the Member States. The financial reference amount for the implementation of the actions for which financial assistance is provided for the period 2004 to 2005 shall be EUR 70 million. The annual appropriations shall be authorised by the budgetary authority within the limits of the financial perspectives. In the decision granting a Community financial contribution, the Commission shall give priority to the actions which it deems most appropriate in order to improve efficiency in monitoring, control and surveillance activity, taking also into account the performance of Member States in implementing programmes already approved. At the reasoned request of a Member State, the Commission may grant an advance of up to 50% of the financial contribution for one year. The amount of the advance shall be deducted from the amount of the final payment of the financial contribution to that Member State. Lastly, Member States shall send the Commission information enabling it to verify the use made of the financial contribution and to assess the impact of the measures provided for in this Decision on control, inspection and surveillance activity. On the basis of the information provided by the Member States, the Commission shall, by 30 June 2007 at the latest, submit to the European Parliament and to the Council a report on the application of this Decision and Decision 2001/431/EC. ENTRY INTO FORCE : 01/01/2004.�