Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/17Show full title

Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/17

of 5 January 2018

amending Implementing Decision 2014/156/EU establishing a specific control and inspection programme for fisheries exploiting stocks of bluefin tuna in the Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, swordfish in the Mediterranean and for fisheries exploiting stocks of sardine and anchovy in the Northern Adriatic Sea

(notified under document C(2017) 8687)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 of 20 November 2009 establishing a Community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), amending Regulations (EC) No 847/96, (EC) No 2371/2002, (EC) No 811/2004, (EC) No 768/2005, (EC) No 2115/2005, (EC) No 2166/2005, (EC) No 388/2006, (EC) No 509/2007, (EC) No 676/2007, (EC) No 1098/2007, (EC) No 1300/2008, (EC) No 1342/2008 and repealing Regulations (EEC) No 2847/93, (EC) No 1627/94 and (EC) No 1966/2006(1), and in particular Article 95 thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Commission Implementing Decision 2014/156/EU(2) establishes a specific control and inspection programme for fisheries exploiting stocks of bluefin tuna in the Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, swordfish in the Mediterranean and for fisheries exploiting stocks of sardine and anchovy in the Northern Adriatic Sea.

(2) Regulation (EU) 2016/1627 of the European Parliament and of the Council(3), lays down the general rules for the application by the Union of a multiannual recovery plan for bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) recommended by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic tunas (‘ICCAT’).

(3) At its 40th Annual Meeting in 2016, the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) adopted conservation and management measures in the geographical subareas 17 and 18 (Adriatic Sea) of the GFCM Agreement Area. It is therefore appropriate to extend the scope of the specific control and inspection programme to ensure compliance with these measures in the Southern Adriatic Sea.

(4) At the same meeting in 2016, GFCM approved Recommendation GFCM 40/2016/4(4) on a multiannual management plan for the fisheries exploiting European hake and deep-water rose shrimp in the Strait of Sicily (geographical sub-areas 12 to 16). The specific control and inspection programme should therefore be amended in order to extend its scope to those fisheries and geographical sub-areas.

(5) At its 20th Special Meeting in November 2016, ICCAT adopted Recommendation [16-05](5), which establishes a Multi-annual Recovery plan for Mediterranean swordfish and which lays down specific provisions applicable to Mediterranean albacore. It is therefore appropriate to amend the specific control and inspection programme to account for the new international obligations stemming from that Recommendation.

(6) With a view to reduce the administrative burden on the Member States, the dates for transmitting certain information to the Commission and to the European Fisheries Control Agency should be harmonised for all fisheries covered by the specific control and inspection programme.

(7) This specific control and inspection programme should not have a limited validity and should be regularly reviewed and amended, as necessary, to account for any new international obligations binding upon the Union and its Member States, as well as for any other relevant provisions set in the framework of the Common Fisheries Policy.

(8) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture.

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

(1)

OJ L 343, 22.12.2009, p. 1.

(2)

Commission Implementing Decision 2014/156/EU of 19 March 2014 establishing a specific control and inspection programme for fisheries exploiting stocks of bluefin tuna in the Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, swordfish in the Mediterranean and for fisheries exploiting stocks of sardine and anchovy in the Northern Adriatic Sea (OJ L 85, 21.3.2014, p. 15).

(3)

Regulation (EU) 2016/1627 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 September 2016 on a multiannual recovery plan for bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 302/2009 (OJ L 252, 16.9.2016, p. 1).

(4)

Recommendation GFCM/40/2016/4 establishing a multiannual management plan for the fisheries exploiting European hake and deep-water rose shrimp in the Strait of Sicily (GSA 12 to 16)

(5)

Recommendation [16-05] by ICCAT replacing the Recommendation [13-04] and establishing a multi-annual recovery plan for Mediterranean swordfish.