Article 3De minimis exemptions

1.

By way of derogation from Article 15(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, the following quantities may be discarded:

F1(a)

for hake ( Merluccius merluccius ), up to a maximum of 6 % in 2018 of the total annual catches of this species by vessels using trawls and seins (gear codes: OTT, OTB, PTB, OT, PT, TBN, TBS, TX, SSC, SPR, TB, SDN, SX and SV) to catch hake in ICES subareas VIII and IX;

(b)

for common sole (Solea solea), up to a maximum of 5 % of the total annual catches of this species by vessels using beam trawl (gear code: TBB) and bottom trawls (gear codes: OTB, OTT, PTB, TBN, TBS, TBB, OT, PT and TX) targeting that species in ICES divisions VIIIa and VIIIb;

(c)

for common sole (Solea solea), up to a maximum of 3 % of the total annual catches of this species by vessels using trammel nets and gillnets (gear codes: GNS, GN, GND, GNC, GTN, GTR and GEN) targeting that species in ICES divisions VIIIa and VIIIb.

2.

Before 1 May F12018, Member States having a direct management interest in the South-Western waters shall submit to the Commission additional discard data and any other relevant scientific information supporting the exemption laid down in paragraph 1(a). The Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) shall assess those data and that information before 1 September 2018.