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, 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, and in particular Article 105(4) thereof,
Whereas:
(1)
In 2013 the Commission adopted Implementing Regulation (EU) No 185/2013 providing for deductions from certain fishing quotas allocated to Spain in 2013 and subsequent years on account of overfishing of a certain mackerel quota in 2009. That Regulation established deductions from the mackerel quota in ICES division 8c, ICES subareas 9 and 10 and Union waters of CECAF 34.1.1 and from the anchovy quota in ICES subarea 8.
(2)
According to Implementing Regulation (EU) No 185/2013, the deductions from the quota of Spain for mackerel in ICES division 8c, ICES subareas 9 and 10 and Union waters of CECAF 34.1.1 for the years 2020 and 2023 were fixed at 5 544 tonnes and 1 392 tonnes respectively.
(3)
Spain did not fish 3 341 tonnes of the relevant mackerel quota in 2019, thus exercising a lower fishing pressure on that stock compared to the maximum quantity allowed by the fishing opportunities allocated for that year. Spain has requested that those unfished quantities be used to decrease the deductions provided by Implementing Regulation (EU) No 185/2013 for the year 2020 and for the year 2023. The quantities for deductions for 2020 and for 2023 established in Implementing Regulation (EU) No 185/2013 should therefore be adapted.
(4)
The amounts deducted from the quotas for mackerel in 2020 and 2023 after the changes would still continue ensuring that the fishing opportunities for those species are not exceeded in line with the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy.
(5)
Implementing Regulation (EU) No 185/2013 should therefore be amended accordingly.
(6)
The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: