Fishery products: additional costs due to remoteness of Azores, Madeira, Canary islands, French Guiana

OBJECTIVE: to grant aid to the most remote areas of the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands, Guyana and Réunion to compensate for the additional costs incurred in marketing certain fisheries products in these regions (particularly transport costs). COMMUNITY MEASURE: Council Regulation (EC) 1587/98 introducing a scheme to compensate for the additional costs incurred in the marketing of certain fishery products from the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands and the French departments of Guyana and Réunion as a result of those regions' remoteness. SUBSTANCE: The most remote regions of the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands, Guyana, and Réunion face major problems in the fisheries sector, which is one of the main sources of income for the local populations. These problems are exacerbated by the additional costs of transport of fisheries products because the areas are isolated and remote. With a view to compensating local producers for loss of revenue and maintaining their competitiveness against Community producers, the Community introduced measures in 1992 (until 1997) to compensate for these additional costs. As those measures were successful, this regulation continues from 1 January 1998 to 31 December 2001 the system of compensation for the following fisheries products: - tuna and demersal species from the Azores, - tuna, black scabbard fish and mackerel from Madeira, - tuna, sardines, mackerel, aquaculture products, cephalopods, sole and sea bream from the Canary Islands, - shrimps from Guyana, - tuna and swordfish from Réunion. The scheme provides for payment of compensatory amounts depending on the type of fish and the region concerned. The amounts vary according to the marketing conditions of the products concerned and their individual characteristics. With a view to rationalising fisheries resources, provisions are included to prohibit fishing for shrimp in Guyana at less than 30 metres. The measures are financed by the EAGGF guarantee section. A report on implementation of this regulation is to be submitted to all the Community Institutions by 1 June 2001, with any proposals for adjusting the system. ENTRY INTO FORCE: the regulation enters into force on 24/7/1998. It is applicable retroactively from 1/1/1998 until 31/12/2001. �