Characteristics of fishing vessels (amend. Regul. 2930/86/EEC)

The committee adopted, with one abstention, the report . The Commission's proposal aims essentially to harmonise the system for measuring the gross tonnage of vessels of all dimensions within the Union. It divides Community vessels into three categories: large - those with an overall length of 24 metres or greater, medium - those between 10 and 24 metres and small - those of less than 10 metres. Measurement of vessels will be according to criteria laid out for each category: - large and medium vessels will be measured in accordance with Annex I of the 1969 International Convention on the Tonnage Measurement of Ships (ICTMS); Existing large vessels will be measured before 18.07.94; existing medium ones before 18.07.96; - small vessels may be measured according to the simple formulae contained in the annexes to the Regulation. Members agreed with the rapporteur that the need to establish uniform measurement criteria was without question, since the stated tonnage of a vessel affected a variety of major economic factors, including taxation, cost of fishing rights etc. However, the committee felt that the timetable proposed by the Commission for medium sized vessels was too strict and adopted an amendment prolonging it to 1 January 1998 (instead of 18.07.96). Two other amendments calling for Community co-financing of remeasurement costs and for official certification of compliance with safety rules were also adopted.  - small vessels may be measured according to the simple formulae contained in the annexes to the Regulation. Members agreed with the rapporteur that the need to establish uniform measurement criteria was without question, since the stated tonnage of a vessel affected a variety of major economic factors, including taxation, cost of fishing rights etc. However, the committee felt that the timetable proposed by the Commission for medium sized vessels was too strict and adopted an amendment prolonging it to 1 January 1998 (instead of 18.07.96). Two other amendments calling for Community co-financing of remeasurement costs and for official certification of compliance with safety rules were also adopted.