Regulation 2011/57 - Fixing for 2011 of the fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks, applicable in EU waters and, for EU vessels, in certain non-EU waters - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 24/1

According to Article 43(3) of the Treaty, the Council, on a proposal from the Commission, shall adopt measures on the fixing and allocation of fishing opportunities.

Council Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002 of 20 December 2002 on the conservation and sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources under the Common Fisheries Policy (1) requires that measures governing access to waters and resources and the sustainable pursuit of fishing activities be established taking into account available scientific, technical and economic advice and in particular reports drawn up by the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF).

It is incumbent upon the Council to adopt measures on the fixing and allocation of fishing opportunities by fishery or by group of fisheries, including certain conditions functionally linked thereto, as appropriate. Fishing opportunities should be distributed among Member States in such a way as to assure each Member State relative stability of fishing activities for each stock or fishery and having due regard to the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy established in Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002.

Where a total allowable catch (TAC) is allocated to one Member State only, it is appropriate to empower the Member State concerned in accordance with Article 2(1) of the Treaty to determine the level of such TAC. Provisions should be made to ensure that, when fixing that TAC level, the Member State concerned acts in a manner fully consistent with the principles and rules of the Common Fisheries Policy and ensures that the stock in question is exploited at levels that shall, with as high a probability as possible, produce maximum sustainable yield from 2015 onwards, including by taking the necessary measures to collect relevant data, assess the stock concerned and determine maximum sustainable yield levels of that stock.

The TACs should be established on the basis of the available scientific advice, by taking into account the biological and socio-economic aspects whilst ensuring fair treatment between fishing sectors, as well as in the light of the opinions expressed during the consultation of stakeholders, in particular at the meetings with the Advisory Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture and the Regional Advisory Councils concerned.

For stocks subject to specific multiannual plans, the TACs should be established in accordance with the rules laid down in those plans. Consequently, the TACs for stocks of hake, of Norway lobster, of sole in the Bay of Biscay, the Western Channel and the North Sea, of plaice in the North Sea, of herring to the west of Scotland and of cod in the Kattegat, North Sea, Skagerrak, eastern Channel, to the west of Scotland and in the Irish Sea should be established in accordance with the rules laid down in: Council Regulation (EC) No 811/2004 of 21 April 2004 establishing measures for the recovery of the northern hake stock (2); Council Regulation (EC) No 2166/2005 of 20 December 2005 establishing measures for the recovery of the Southern hake and Norway lobster stocks in the Cantabrian Sea and Western Iberian peninsula (3); Council Regulation (EC) No 388/2006 of 23 February 2006 establishing a multiannual plan for the sustainable exploitation of the stock of sole in the Bay of...