62022CJ0330_SUM
Case C‑330/22
Friends of the Irish Environment CLG
v
Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine and Others
(Request for a preliminary ruling from the High Court (Ireland))
Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber) of 11 January 2024
(Reference for a preliminary ruling – Common fisheries policy – Conservation of resources – Total allowable catches (TACs) applicable to stocks of cod in the West of Scotland and the Celtic Sea, whiting in the Irish Sea and plaice in the Celtic Sea South – Regulation (EU) 2020/123 – Regulation (EU) 2020/123 – Annex IA – TACs above zero – Expiry of the period of application – Assessment of validity – Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 – Article 2(2), second subparagraph – Objective of achieving a maximum sustainable yield (MSY) exploitation rate at the latest by 2020 for all stocks – Articles 2, 3, 9, 10, 15 and 16 – Socioeconomic and employment objectives – Best available scientific advice – Landing obligation – Mixed fisheries – ‘Choke species’ – Regulation (EU) 2019/472 – Articles 1 to 5, 8 and 10 – Target stocks – By-catches – Remedial measures – Discretion)
Fisheries – Conservation of the resources of the sea – System of fishing quotas – Multiannual plans – Mixed fisheries – Objectives of the common fisheries policy – Achieving a maximum sustainable yield exploitation rate for all stocks – Adaptation to take into account the difficulty of achieving that rate for all stocks harvested at the same time – Maximum period for achieving that rate – Scope – By-catches – Council's margin of discretion
(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1380/2004, recital 8 and Arts 2, 4(14) and (36), 9 and 15; European Parliament and Council Directive 2019/472, Art. 1(1), (4) and (5))
(see paragraphs 64-66, 69-71, 75, 79, 80)
Fisheries – Conservation of the resources of the sea – System of fishing quotas – Allocation of fishing opportunities among the Member States – Council's margin of discretion – Judicial review – Limits – Adoption of a total allowable catch for fish species on the basis of the best available scientific advice, at a level which is not manifestly inappropriate for reconciling the objective of continuing mixed fisheries with that of achieving a good biological status for the stocks concerned – Whether permissible
(European Parliament and Council Regulation No 1380/2004, Art. 2(2), Art. 3(c) and (d) and Art. 9(5); European Parliament and Council Directive 2019/472, Art. 5(3))
(see paragraphs 81-93)
See the text of the decision.