EN Official Journal of the European Union L 138/143

COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING DECISION (EU) 2017/902

of 23 May 2017

establishing the list of Union inspectors who may carry out inspections pursuant to Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009

(notified under document C(2017) 3252)

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 Union 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 (1), and in particular Article 79(1) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 establishes a system for control, inspection and enforcement to ensure compliance with the rules of the common fisheries policy in the Union. That Regulation provides that, without prejudice to the primary responsibility of the coastal Member States, Union inspectors may carry out inspections in accordance with its provisions in Union waters and on Union fishing vessels outside Union waters.

(2) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 404/2011 (2) lays down detailed rules for the application of the Union control system as established by Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009.

(3) Implementing Regulation (EU) No 404/2011 provides that the list of Union inspectors is to be adopted by the Commission on the basis of the notifications of Member States and of the European Fisheries Control Agency (‘the Agency’).

(4) A first list of Union inspectors was established by Commission Implementing Decision 2011/883/EU (3). That list was replaced four times by new lists of Union inspectors established first by Commission Implementing Decision 2013/174/EU (4), then by Commission Implementing Decision 2014/120/EU (5), Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/645 (6) and later by Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/706 (7). In accordance with Implementing Regulation (EU) No 404/2011, after the establishment of the initial list, Member States and the Agency are to notify to the Commission by October each year any amendment to the list they wish to introduce for the following calendar year, and the Commission is to amend the list accordingly by 31 December.

(5) Some Member States and the Agency have notified amendments to the current list of inspectors. The list established by Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/706 should therefore be replaced by a new list of Union inspectors on the basis of those notifications.

(6) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION:

Article 1

The list of Union inspectors is set out in the Annex to this Decision.

Article 2

Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/706 is repealed.

Article 3

This Decision is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 23 May 2017. For the Commission Karmenu VELLA Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 343, 22.12.2009, p. 1.

(2) Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 404/2011 of 8 April 2011 laying down detailed rules for the implementation of Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 establishing a Community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy (OJ L 112, 30.4.2011, p. 1).

(3) Commission Implementing Decision 2011/883/EU of 21 December 2011 establishing the list of Union inspectors pursuant to Article 79(1) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 (OJ L 343, 23.12.2011, p. 123).

(4) Commission Implementing Decision 2013/174/EU of 8 April 2013 establishing the list of Union inspectors pursuant to Article 79(1) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 (OJ L 101, 10.4.2013, p. 31).

(5) Commission Implementing Decision 2014/120/EU of 4 March 2014 establishing the list of Union inspectors pursuant to Article 79(1) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 (OJ L 66, 6.3.2014, p. 31).

(6) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2015/645 of 20 April 2015 establishing the list of Union inspectors who may carry out inspections pursuant to Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 (OJ L 106, 24.4.2015, p. 31).

(7) Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/706 of 3 May 2016 establishing the list of Union inspectors who may carry out inspections pursuant to Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 (OJ L 122, 12.5.2016, p. 26).