In November 2000, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea indicated that the stock of cod which inhabits the North Sea (ICES Sub-area IV and ICES Division IIa) and the stock of cod which inhabits waters to the west of Scotland (ICES Sub-area VI and ICES Division Vb) are at serious risk of collapse.

At the Council meeting of 14 and 15 December 2000, the Commission and the Council noted the urgent requirement to establish a recovery plan for these stocks of cod.

• a general increase in the mesh size of towed nets and static nets used to catch cod to which end it is necessary to derogate from conditions regarding mesh sizes of towed gears laid down in Annexes I and VI of Regulation (EC) No 850/98, and

• additional conditions to ensure that capture of juvenile cod by towed nets of mesh size less than 120 mm is reduced.

Many of the measures to be envisaged in the North Sea are also relevant in the context of cod recovery in waters to the west of Scotland and should therefore also be taken in that geographical area while some measures require to be specific to the west of Scotland.

It is necessary to regulate on these matters immediately, in anticipation of a revision of Regulation (EC) No 850/98, so that the fishing industry will be provided with sufficient time to amend their fishing gears.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture,