Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 404/2011Show full title

Section 3 U.K. Requests for assistance

Article 155 U.K. Definition

For the purpose of this Section ‘request for assistance’ means a request addressed by one Member State to another Member State or by the Commission or the body designated by it to a Member State for:

(a)

information including information according to Article 93(2) and (3) of the Control Regulation;

(b)

enforcement measures; or

(c)

administrative notification.

Article 156 U.K. General requirements

1. The applicant Member State shall ensure that all requests for assistance contain sufficient information to enable a requested Member State to fulfil the request, including any necessary evidence obtainable in the territory of the applicant Member State.

2. Requests for assistance shall be limited to substantiated cases where there is reasonable cause to believe that non-compliance with rules of the Common Fisheries Policy, in particular serious infringements referred to in Article 90(1) of the Control Regulation have occurred and where the applicant Member State is not able to obtain the requested information or to take the requested measures by its own means.

Article 157 U.K. Transmission of requests and replies

1. Requests shall only be sent by the single authority of the applicant Member State, by the Commission or the body designated by it to the single authority of the requested Member State. All replies to a request shall be communicated in the same way.

2. Requests for mutual assistance and the respective replies shall be made in writing.

3. The languages used for requests and replies shall be agreed by the single authorities concerned before requests are made. If no agreement can be reached, requests shall be communicated in the official language(s) of the applicant Member State and replies in the official language(s) of the requested Member State.

Article 158 U.K. Requests for information

1. A Member State shall, at the request of an applicant Member State, of the Commission or the body designated by it, supply any relevant information required to establish whether non-compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy, in particular serious infringements as referred to in Article 90(1) of the Control Regulation, have occurred or to establish whether there is a reasonable suspicion it may occur. That information shall be supplied via the single authority as referred to in Article 152 of this Regulation.

2. The requested Member State shall, at the request of the applicant Member State, of the Commission or the body designated by it, carry out the appropriate administrative enquiries concerning operations which constitute or appear to the applicant to constitute non-compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy, in particular serious infringements referred to in Article 90(1) of the Control Regulation The requested Member State shall communicate the results of such administrative enquiries to the applicant Member State and to the Commission or the body designated by it.

3. At the request of the applicant Member State, of the Commission or the body designated by it, the requested Member State may permit a competent official of the applicant Member State to accompany the officials of the requested Member State, the Commission or the body designated by it, in the course of administrative enquiries referred to in paragraph 2. In so far as national provisions on criminal proceedings restrict certain acts to officials specifically designated by national law, the officials of the applicant Member State shall not take part in such acts. In no event, shall they participate in searches of premises or the formal questioning of persons under criminal law. The officials of the applicant Member States present in the requested Member State must at all time be able to present written authority stating their identity and their official functions.

4. At the request of the applicant Member State, the requested Member State shall supply it with any document or certified true copies in its possession which relates to non-compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy or serious infringements referred to in Article 90(1) of the Control Regulation.

5. The standard form for the exchange of information on request is set out in Annex XXXIV.

Article 159 U.K. Requests for enforcement measures

1. A requested Member State shall, based on the evidence referred to in Article 156 of this Regulation, at the request of an applicant Member State, of the Commission or the body designated by it, take all necessary enforcement measures to bring about the cessation, within its territory or within maritime waters under its sovereignty or jurisdiction, of any non-compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy or serious infringements referred to in Article 90(1) of the Control Regulation without delay.

2. The requested Member State may consult the applicant Member State, the Commission or the body designated by it in the course of taking the enforcement measures referred to in paragraph 1.

3. The requested Member State shall report the measures taken and their effect to the applicant Member State, the other Member States concerned, the Commission or the body designated by it, via the single authority as referred to in Article 152 of this Regulation.

Article 160 U.K. Deadline for replies to requests for information and enforcement measures

1. The requested Member State shall provide the information referred to in Articles 158(1) and 159(3) of this Regulation as quickly as possible, but not later than 4 weeks following the date of receipt of the request. Different time limits may be agreed between the requested and the applicant Member State, the Commission or the body designated by it.

2. Where the requested Member State is unable to respond to the request by the deadline, it shall inform the applicant Member State, the Commission or the body designated by it in writing of the reason for its failure to do so, and indicate when it considers it will be able to respond.

Article 161 U.K. Requests for administrative notification

1. A requested Member State shall, at the request of an applicant Member State and in accordance with its national rules governing the notification of similar instruments and decisions, notify the addressee of all instruments and decisions taken in the field covered by the Common Fisheries Policy, in particular on issues regulated under the Control Regulation or this Regulation which emanate from the administrative authorities of the applicant Member State and are to be served in the territory of the requested Member State.

2. Requests for notification shall be made using the standard form attached to this Regulation in Annex XXXV.

3. The requested Member State shall transmit its reply to the applicant Member State immediately after the notification via the single authority referred to in Article 152 of this Regulation. The reply shall be made using the standard form set out in Annex XXXVI.