Council Regulation (EC) No 708/2007Show full title

CHAPTER I SUBJECT MATTER, SCOPE AND DEFINITIONS

Article 1 Subject matter

This Regulation establishes a framework governing aquaculture practices in relation to alien and locally absent species to assess and minimise the possible impact of these and any associated non-target species on aquatic habitats and in this manner contribute to the sustainable development of the sector.

Article 2 Scope

1. This Regulation shall apply to the introduction of alien species and translocation of locally absent species for their use in aquaculture in the Community taking place after the date this Regulation becomes applicable by virtue of Article 25(1).

2. This Regulation shall not apply to translocations of locally absent species within Member States, except for cases where, on the basis of scientific advice, there are grounds for foreseeing environmental threats due to the translocation. In the case that an advisory committee has been appointed under Article 5 it will be responsible for assessing the risks.

3. This Regulation shall cover all aquaculture activities located within the jurisdiction of Member States irrespective of their size or characteristics. It shall cover all alien and locally absent aquatic organisms farmed. It shall cover aquaculture using any form of aquatic medium.

4. This Regulation shall not apply to the keeping of ornamental aquatic animals or plants in pet-shops, garden centres, contained garden ponds or aquaria which comply with Article 6 of Commission Decision 2006/656/EC of 20 September 2006 laying down the animal health conditions and certification requirements for imports of fish for ornamental purpose(1) or in facilities which are equipped with effluent treatment systems which fulfil the aims set out in Article 1.

5. This Regulation, except for Articles 3 and 4, shall not apply to the species listed in Annex IV. The risk assessment in Article 9 shall not apply to species listed in Annex IV except in cases where Member States wish to take measures to restrict the use of the species concerned in their territory.

6. Movements of alien or locally absent species to be held in closed aquaculture facilities shall not be subject to prior environmental risk assessment except in cases where Member States wish to take appropriate measures.

7. Introductions and translocations for use in ‘closed aquaculture facilities’ may at a future date be exempted from the permit requirement of Chapter III, based on new scientific information and advice. Advances in the scientific understanding of bio security of modern closed systems are expected inter alia from Community-funded research on alien species. The relative decision will be taken not later than 31 March 2009 following the procedure described under Article 24.

Article 3 Definitions

For the purpose of this Regulation the following definitions shall apply:

1.

‘aquaculture’ means the activity defined in Article 3, paragraph (d) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1198/2006 of 27 July 2006 on the European Fisheries Fund(2);

2.

‘open aquaculture facility’ means a facility where aquaculture is conducted in an aquatic medium not separated from the wild aquatic medium by barriers preventing the escape of reared specimens or biological material that might survive and subsequently reproduce;

3.

‘closed aquaculture facility’ means a facility where aquaculture is conducted in an aquatic medium, which involves recirculation of water and which is separated from the wild aquatic medium by barriers preventing the escape of reared specimens or biological material that might survive and subsequently reproduce;

4.

‘aquatic organisms’ means any species living in water belonging to the animalia, plantae and protista kingdoms, including any part, gametes, seeds, eggs or propagules of their individuals that might survive and subsequently reproduce;

5.

‘Polyploid organisms’ means artificially induced tetraploid organisms (4N). These are aquatic organisms in which the number of chromosomes in the cells has been doubled through cell manipulation techniques;

6.

‘alien species’ means:

(a)

a species or subspecies of an aquatic organism occurring outside its known natural range and the area of its natural dispersal potential;

(b)

polyploid organisms, and fertile artificially hybridised species irrespective of their natural range or dispersal potential;

7.

‘locally absent species’ means a species or subspecies of an aquatic organism which is locally absent from a zone within its natural range of distribution for biogeographical reasons;

8.

‘non-target species’ means any species or subspecies of an aquatic organism likely to be detrimental to the aquatic environment that is moved accidentally together with an aquatic organism that is being introduced or translocated not including disease-causing organisms which are covered by Directive 2006/88/EC;

9.

‘movement’ means introduction and/or translocation;

10.

‘introduction’ means the process by which an alien species is intentionally moved to an environment outside its natural range for use in aquaculture;

11.

‘translocation’ means the process by which a locally absent species is intentionally moved within its natural range for its use in aquaculture to an area where it previously did not exist because of bio-geographical reasons;

12.

‘pilot release’ means the introduction of alien species or translocation of locally absent species on a limited scale to assess ecological interaction with native species and habitats in order to test the risk assessment assumptions;

13.

‘applicant’ means the natural or legal person or entity proposing to conduct the introduction or translocation of an aquatic organism;

14.

‘quarantine’ means a process by which aquatic organisms and any of their associated organisms can be maintained in complete isolation from the surrounding environment;

15.

‘quarantine facility’ means a facility in which aquatic organisms and any of their associated organisms can be maintained in complete isolation from the surrounding environment;

16.

‘routine movement’ means the movement of aquatic organisms from a source which has a low risk of transferring non-target species and which, on account of the characteristics of the aquatic organisms and/or the method of aquaculture to be used, for example closed systems as defined in 3, does not give rise to adverse ecological effects;

17.

‘non-routine movement’ shall mean any movement of aquatic organisms which does not fulfil the criteria for routine movement;

18.

‘receiving Member State’ shall mean the Member State into the territory of which the alien species is introduced or the locally absent species is translocated;

19.

‘sending Member State’ means the Member State from the territory of which the alien species is introduced or the locally absent species is translocated.

(1)

OJ L 271, 30.9.2006, p. 71.

(2)

OJ L 223, 15.8.2006, p. 1.