3.8.2000 Official Journal of the European Communities L197/35 (Acts whose publication is not obligatory) COUNCIL COUNCIL DECISION of 17 July 2000 on the acceptance, by the European Community, of the amendment to the Agreement establishing the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean with a view to establishing an auto- nomous budget for that organisation (2000/487 [EC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 37 thereof, in conjunc- tion with Article 300(2), first sentence, and (3), first subpara- graph, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ('), Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (%), Whereas: (1) The European Community is a member of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) (3). (2)  The management of fish stocks in the Mediterranean requires that action be taken at multilateral level to regulate fishing activities on the high seas. The develop- ment of aquaculture can benefit from multilateral cooperation. The GFCM is the appropriate framework for these actions. (3)  GFCM has recently adopted amendments designed to reinforce its activities by creating a Scientific Advisory Committee, to meet once a year. The new activities of this organisation require the necessary financial means. (4)  GFCM depends entirely on the budget of the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO). The limitations placed on that budget mean that the activities of GFCM which are necessary to accomplish its new reinforced role cannot be funded. GFCM must therefore have its own autonomous budget. (5)  GFCM adopted, at its meeting from 13 to 16 October 1997, the amendments to the text of the agreement establishing an autonomous budget. The said budget () O] C 15, 20.1.1999, p. 13. () O] C 150, 28.5.1999, p. 153. (*) Council Decision (98/416/EC) of 16 June 1998 on the accession of the European Community to the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (O] L 190, 4.7.1998, p. 34). represents a new obligation on GFCM contracting parties within the meaning of Article X.2 of the Agree- ment creating the GFCM. (6)  These new obligations can only enter into force after acceptance by two thirds of the members of the GFCM Commission and with respect to each member, only on acceptance by that member. (7 The Community should therefore adopt an instrument of acceptance of the autonomous budget of GFCM, HAS DECIDED AS FOLLOWS: Sole Atrticle 1. The Community shall accept the establishment of an autonomous budget for the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean, in accordance with the instrument set out in Annex L 2. The text of the amended Agreement and the amended Rules of Procedure of the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean, including the provisions on the autonomous budget, are set out in Annex IL Done at Brussels, 17 July 2000. For the Council The President J. GLAVANY