EC/Lithuania fisheries agreement

OBJECTIVE: the object of the proposal for a Council Regulation is the conclusion of a Fisheries Agreement and Protocol between the European Community and the Republic of Lithuania, with a view to the amalgamation of the Agreement concluded by the Community with that country in 1993 and those concluded with Lithuania by Sweden and Finland before their accession to the EU, as well as to regulate the conditions relating to temporary joint ventures between the parties. COMMUNITY MEASURE: Council Regulation (EC) No 2395/96 on the conclusion of an Agreement on fisheries relations between the European Community and the Republic of Lithuania and a Protocol laying down the conditions relating to temporary joint ventures and joint enterprises provided for by the Agreement. SUBSTANCE: the new Agreement, which will be valid for a period of six years, includes all of the elements of the existing Agreements: balanced exchange of quotas, reciprocal access arrangements, and the possibility for the Community to obtain fishing rights from Lithuania on surplus stocks in return for financial compensation. The Agreement also includes the following additional elements: - explicit references to the rights of the parties in inspecting each other's vessels; - a settlement procedure in the event of the arrest of a vessel; and - an undertaking to cooperate in international organizations. In order to take account of the Europe Agreement concluded with Lithuania, the parties have undertaken to cooperate in establishing joint enterprises in the fisheries sector. To this end, a Protocol appended to the Agreement lays down the conditions applicable to the establishment of such temporary joint ventures and joint enterprises under the Agreement on Fisheries Relations between the Community and Lithuania. This Protocol regulates, inter alia, the criteria for the establishment of such enterprises and the fishing opportunities open to them. Provision is also made for financial support to encourage their establishment (the Commission will allocate a total of ECU 2.500.000 over a period of three years) with a scale of assistance based on the gross registered tonnage (GRT) of vessels. ENTRY INTO FORCE: 27 December 1996. The President of the Council will designate those authorized to sign the Agreement and Protocol for the purpose of committing the Community.�