Regulation 2023/195 - Fixing for 2023 of the fishing opportunities for certain stocks and groups of fish stocks applicable in the Mediterranean and Black Seas and amending Regulation (EU) 2022/110 as regards the fishing opportunities for 2022 applicable in the Mediterranean and the Black Seas - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 28/220

Article 6 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) requires that conservation measures be adopted taking into account available scientific, technical and economic advice, including, where relevant, reports drawn up by the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF), as well as advice received from advisory councils for the relevant geographical areas or fields of competence and joint recommendations made by Member States.

The Council is to adopt measures on the fixing and allocation of fishing opportunities, including certain conditions functionally linked to those fishing opportunities, as appropriate. Article 16(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 provides that fishing opportunities should be allocated to Member States in such a way as to ensure the relative stability of the fishing activities of each Member State for each fish stock or fishery.

Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 provides that the objective of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) is to achieve the maximum sustainable yield (MSY) exploitation rate by 2015, where possible, and, on a progressive, incremental basis, at the latest by 2020 for all stocks. The objective of the transitional period until 2020 was to balance the achievement of MSY for all stocks with the potential socioeconomic implications of the possible adjustments of related fishing opportunities.

Therefore, in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, total allowable catches (TACs) should be set on the basis of available scientific advice, taking into account biological and socioeconomic aspects whilst ensuring fair treatment between fishing sectors, as well as the opinions expressed during consultations with stakeholders.

Article 16(4) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 provides that for stocks subject to specific multiannual plans, the fishing opportunities are to be established in accordance with the rules laid down in those plans.

The multiannual plan for the fisheries exploiting demersal stocks in the western Mediterranean Sea (‘the plan’) was established by Regulation (EU) 2019/1022 of the European Parliament and of the Council (2) and entered into force on 16 July 2019. The plan aims to reach and maintain MSY for target stocks, ensuring that the exploitation of living marine biological resources restores and maintains populations of harvested species above levels which can produce the MSY.

In accordance with Article 4(1) of Regulation (EU) 2019/1022, fishing opportunities for stocks listed in Article 1 of that Regulation should be fixed to achieve fishing mortality at MSY on a progressive, incremental basis by 2020, where possible, and by 1 January 2025 at the latest. Fishing opportunities should be expressed as the maximum allowable fishing effort for trawlers and longliners and fixed in accordance with the fishing effort regime laid down in Article 7 of the plan, and as maximum catch limits for blue and red shrimp (Aristeus antennatus) and giant red shrimp (Aristaeomorpha foliacea) in deep waters in accordance with scientific advice and Article 7(3), point (b), of the...