P7_TA(2013)0040

Common fisheries policy ***I

European Parliament legislative resolution of 6 February 2013 on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Common Fisheries Policy (COM(2011)0425 — C7-0198/2011 — 2011/0195(COD))

(Ordinary legislative procedure: first reading)

(2016/C 024/22)

The European Parliament,

having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2011)0425),

having regard to Article 294(2) and Article 43(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C7-0198/2011),

having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Legal Affairs on the proposed legal basis,

having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 28 March 2012 (1) ,

having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions of 4 May 2012 (2) ,

having regard to Rules 55 and 37 of its Rules of Procedure,

having regard to the report of the Committee on Fisheries and the opinions of the Committee on Development, the Committee on Budgets, the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety and the Committee on Regional Development (A7-0008/2013),

Recalls its resolution of 8 June 2011 on Investing in the future: a new Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for a competitive, sustainable and inclusive Europe (3) ; reiterates that sufficient additional resources are needed in the next MFF in order to enable the Union to fulfil its existing policy priorities and the new tasks provided for in the Treaty of Lisbon, as well as to respond to unforeseen events; challenges the Council, if it does not share this approach, to clearly identify which of its political priorities or projects could be dropped altogether, despite their proven European added value;

Points out that the estimated financial impact of the proposal constitutes only an indication to the legislative authority and cannot be fixed pending agreement on the proposal for a Regulation laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2014-2020;

Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it intends to amend its proposal substantially or replace it with another text;

Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

(1) OJ C 181, 21.6.2012, p. 183.

(2) OJ C 225, 27.7.2012, p. 20.

(3) OJ C 380 E, 11.12.2012, p. 89.

P7_TC1-COD(2011)0195

Position of the European Parliament adopted at first reading on 6 February 2013 with a view to the adoption of Regulation (EU) No …/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Common fisheries policy, amending Council Regulations (EC) No 1954/2003 and (EC) No 768/2005 and repealing Council Regulations (EC) No 2371/2002 and (EC) No 639/2004 and Council Decision 2004/585/EC

THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 43(2) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national Parliaments,

Having regard to the opinion of the European and Social Committee (1),

Having regard to the opinion of the Committee of the Regions (2),

Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (3),

Whereas:

(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002 (4) established a Community system for the conservation and sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources under the Common Fisheries Policy.

(2) The scope of the Common Fisheries Policy includes the conservation, management and exploitation of marine biological resources and the management of fisheries targeting them . In addition, the Common Fisheries Policy's scope it includes, in relation to market measures and financial measures in support of its objectives, fresh water biological resources and aquaculture activities , as well as the processing and marketing of fishery and aquaculture products, where such activities take place on the territory of Member States, or in Union waters, including by fishing vessels flying the flag of, and registered in, third countries, or by Union fishing vessels, or by nationals of Member States, without prejudice to the primary responsibility of the flag State, bearing in mind the provisions of Article 117 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. [Am. 2]

(3) The Common Fisheries Policy should ensure that fishing and aquaculture activities contribute to long-term sustainable environmental, economic, and social conditions sustainability . It should contribute moreover to increased productivity include rules that aim to ensure the traceability, security and quality of Union imported products , a fair standard of living for the fisheries sector, food security, stable markets, ensure the availability of resources and that supplies reach consumers at reasonable prices. [Am. 3]

(4) The Union is a Contracting Party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 (Unclos) (5) and it has ratified the United Nations Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks of 4 August 1995 (UN Fish Stocks Agreement) (6). It has also accepted the Agreement to Promote Compliance with International Conservation and Management Measures by Fishing Vessels on the High Seas of 24 November 1993 of the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO Compliance Agreement) (7). These international instruments predominantly foresee conservation obligations, including among other things obligations to take conservation and management measures designed to maintain or restore marine resources at levels which can produce the maximum sustainable yield both within sea areas under national jurisdiction and on the high seas, and to cooperate with other States to this end, obligations to apply the precautionary approach widely to conservation, management and exploitation of fish stocks, obligations to ensure compatibility of conservation and management measures where marine resources occur in sea areas of different jurisdictional status and obligations to have due regard to other legitimate uses of the seas. The Common Fisheries Policy should contribute to the Union's proper discharge of its international obligations under these international instruments. Where Member States adopt conservation and management measures, for which they have been empowered in the framework of the Common Fisheries Policy, they should also act in a manner which is fully consistent with the international conservation and cooperation obligations under the said international instruments.

(5) At the World Summit on Sustainable Development at Johannesburg in 2002, the Union and its Member States committed to act against the continued decline of many fish stocks. Therefore, the Union should improve its Common Fisheries Policy to ensure that, as a matter of priority exploitation levels of marine biological resources stocks are restored and maintained at levels capable , by 2015, fishing mortality rates are set at levels that should allow fish stocks to recover, by 2020 at the latest, above levels that are capable of producing maximum sustainable yields from the populations of harvested stocks by 2015 yield and that should allow all recovered stocks to be maintained at these levels . Where less scientific information is available, this may require applying proxies to maximum sustainable yield. [Am. 5]

(5a) The concept of maximum sustainable yield, enshrined in Unclos, is a fisheries management target that has been legally binding on the Union since its ratification in 1998. [Am. 6]

(5b) Adopting fishing mortality rates below those necessary to maintain fish stocks at levels above those capable of producing the MSY is the only way of ensuring that the fishing industry becomes economically viable in the long term without reliance upon public aid. [Am. 232]

(5c) Multiannual plans should be the main instrument to ensure that, by 2015, fishing mortality rates are set at levels that should allow fish stocks to recover, by 2020 at the latest, above levels that are capable of producing the maximum sustainable yield and that should allow all recovered stocks to be maintained at these levels. Only a clear and binding commitment to these dates is capable of ensuring that immediate action is taken and that the recovery process is not further delayed. In respect of those stocks for which no multiannual plan has yet been adopted, it is essential to ensure that, when setting fishing opportunities for them, the Council adheres fully to the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy. [Am. 7]

(5d) In order to create more stable conditions for the fishing sector, it should also be possible for multiannual plans to contain provisions that limit yearly fluctuations of the total allowable catch for recovered stocks. The exact limits to these fluctuations should be stated in the multiannual plans. [Am. 8]

(5e) Management decisions relating to maximum sustainable yield (MSY) in mixed fisheries should take into account the difficulty of fishing all stocks in a mixed fishery at maximum sustainable yield at the same time, in cases where scientific advice indicates that it is very difficult to avoid the phenomenon of ‘choke species’ by increasing the selectivity of the fishing gears used. ICES and the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) should be requested to provide advice on the appropriate fishing mortality levels in such circumstances. [Am. 9]

(5f) If it is necessary to drastically reduce fishing opportunities during a transitional period in order to achieve the maximum sustainable yield, the Union and the Member States should ensure that adequate social and financial measures are taken to sustain enough businesses throughout the production chain to achieve a balance between fleet capacity and available resources when the maximum sustainable yield is reached. [Am. 10]

(6) Fisheries targets were laid down in the Decision by the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity on the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011 — 2020 (8), the Common Fisheries Policy should ensure coherence with the biodiversity targets adopted by the European Council (9), and the targets of Commission Communication ‘Our life insurance, our natural capital: an EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020’ (10), in particular to achieve maximum sustainable yield by 2015.

(7) Sustainable exploitation of marine biological resources should always be based on the precautionary approach, which is to be derived from the precautionary principle referred to in the first subparagraph of Article 191(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU) , taking into account available scientific data . [Am. 12]

(8) The Common Fisheries Policy should contribute to the protection of the marine environment , to the sustainable management of all commercially exploited species, and in particular to the achievement of good environmental status by 2020 the latest, as set out in Article 1(1) of Directive 2008/56/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 17 June 2008 establishing a framework for community action in the field of marine environmental policy (Marine Strategy Framework Directive) (11). [Am. 13]

(8a) The Common Fisheries Policy should also contribute to supplying the Union market with highly nutritional food, and to reducing the internal market's food dependence, as well as to direct and indirect job creation and economic development in coastal areas. [Am. 14]

(9) An ecosystem based approach to fisheries management needs to be implemented, environmental impacts of fishing activities should be limited and unwanted catches should be in order to help ensure that the impact of human activities on the marine ecosystem is kept to a minimum and that unwanted catches are prevented, minimised and progressively , where possible, eliminated , and that a situation is progressively achieved in which all catches are landed . [Am. 15]

(10) It is important that the management of the Common Fisheries Policy is guided by principles of good governance. Those principles include decision-making based on best available scientific advice, broad stakeholder involvement and a long-term perspective. The successful management of the Common Fisheries Policy also depends on a clear definition of responsibilities at Union, national, regional and local levels and on the mutual compatibility and consistency of the measures taken with other Union policies.

(11) The Common Fisheries Policy should pay full regard, where relevant, to animal health, animal welfare, food and feed safety.

(12) The Common Fisheries Policy should be implemented in a way that is generally consistent with other Union policies and, in particular, that takes into account interactions with Union action in other maritime policy areas as addressed by the Integrated Maritime Policy (12) , recognising that all matters related to Europe's oceans and seas are interlinked, including maritime spatial planning. Coherence and integration should be ensured in the management of different sectoral policies within the Baltic Sea, North Sea, Celtic Seas, Bay of Biscay and the Iberian Coast, Mediterranean and Black Sea sea basins. [Am. 17]

(13) Union fishing vessels should have equal access to Union waters and resources subject to the rules of the CFP.

(14) Rules in place restricting access to resources within the 12 nautical mile zones of Member States have operated satisfactorily benefiting conservation by restricting fishing effort in the most sensitive part of Union waters. Those rules have also preserved traditional fishing activities on which the social and economic development of certain coastal communities is highly dependent. Those rules should therefore continue to apply and should, where possible, be strengthened to give preferential access for small scale, artisanal or coastal fishermen . [Am. 18]

(14a) The definition of small-scale fishing needs to be widened to take account of criteria in addition to boat size, including, inter alia, the prevailing weather conditions, the impact of fishing techniques on the marine ecosystem, the time spent at sea and the characteristics of the economic unit exploiting the resource. Small offshore islands which are dependent on fishing should be especially recognised and supported, both financially and through the allocation of additional resources, in order to enable them to survive and prosper in the future. [Am. 19]

(15) Marine biological resources around the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands should continue to be especially protected since they contribute to the preservation of the local economy of these islands, having regard to the structural, social and economic situation of those islands. The limitation of certain fishing activities in those waters to fishing vessels registered in the ports of the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands should therefore be maintained.

(16) The objective of sustainable exploitation of marine biological resources is more effectively achieved through a multi-annual approach to fisheries management . To that end, Member States, cooperating closely with the public authorities and the Advisory Councils, should create the conditions for sustainability, including at a local level , establishing as a priority multi-annual plans reflecting the specificities of different fisheries. This could be achieved through common actions at the regional level and, in a more binding way, through decision-making procedures that lead to the drawing-up of multiannual plans. [Am. 20]

(17) Multi-annual plans should where possible cover multiple stocks where those stocks are jointly exploited. The multiannual plans should establish the basis for fixing fishing opportunities and quantifiable targets for the sustainable exploitation of stocks and marine ecosystems concerned, defining clear timeframes and safeguard mechanisms for unforeseen developments. Multiannual plans should also be governed by precisely defined management objectives in order to contribute to the sustainable exploitation of the stocks and of the marine ecosystems concerned. When the management scenarios could have a socioeconomic impact on the regions concerned, these plans should be adopted in consultation with operators in the fishing industry, with scientists and with institutional partners. [Am. 21]

(18) Measures are needed to reduce and eliminate the current high levels of unwanted catches and to gradually eliminate discards. Unfortunately, previous legislation has often obliged fishermen to discard valuable resources. Indeed, unwanted catches and discards constitute a substantial waste and affect negatively the sustainable exploitation of marine biological resources and marine ecosystems as well as the financial viability of fisheries. An obligation to land all catches of managed stocks caught during fishing activities in Union waters or by Union fishing vessels should be established and gradually implemented. Priority should be given to developing, promoting and encouraging measures and incentives that aim to avoid unwanted catches in the first place. [Am. 22]

(18a) The obligation to land all catches should be introduced on a fisheries-by-fisheries base. Fishermen should be allowed to continue discarding species which, according to the best available scientific advice, have a high survival rate when released into the sea under conditions defined for a given fishery. [Am. 23]

(18b) In order to make the obligation to land all catches workable and to mitigate the effect of varying yearly catch compositions, Member States should be allowed to transfer quotas between years, up to a certain percentage. [Am. 24]

(19) Landings of unwanted catches should not result in full economic advantages for the operator. For landings of catches of fish under the minimum conservation reference size, the destination of such catches should be limited and exclude sale for human consumption. Each Member State should be able to decide whether it wants to allow the fish landed to be distributed free for beneficial or charitable purposes. [Am. 25]

(20) For the sake of conservation of stocks and the adaptability of fleets and fisheries, clear objectives should be applied with respect to certain technical measures , and levels of governance should be tailored to management requirements . [Am. 26]

(21) For stocks for which no multi-annual plan has been established, exploitation rates delivering maximum sustainable yield should be ensured by setting catch and/or fishing effort limits. If insufficient data is available, fisheries should be managed by using proxy standards. [Am. 27]

(21a) The Union should increase its efforts to achieve effective international cooperation and stock management in seas which are bordered by both Member States and third countries, providing for the creation, where appropriate, of regional fisheries management organisations for such areas. In particular, the Union should advocate the creation of a Regional Fisheries Management Organisation for the Black Sea. [Am. 28]

(22) In view of the precarious economic state of part of the fishing industry and the dependence of certain coastal communities on fishing activities, it is necessary to ensure the relative stability of fishing activities by allocating fishing opportunities among Member States, based on a predictable share of stocks for each Member State. [Am. 29]

(23) Such relative stability of fishing activities, given the temporary biological situation of stocks, should safeguard the particular needs of regions where local communities are especially dependent on fisheries and related activities as decided by the Council in its Resolution of 3 November 1976, on certain external aspects of the creation of a 200-mile fishing zone in the Community (13) with effect from 1 January 1977, and in particular Annex VII thereto. Therefore, it is in this sense that the concept of relative stability aimed at should be understood.

(24) Member States should be in a position to present substantiated requests to the Commission to draw up measures under the Common Fisheries Policy for measures identified by Member States as necessary to comply with obligations as regards Special Protection Areas pursuant to Article 4 of Council Directive 2009/147/EC of 30 November 2009 on the conservation of wild birds (14), Special Areas of Conservation pursuant to Article 6 of Council Directive 92/43/EEC of 21 May 1992 on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora (15) and marine protected areas pursuant to Article 13(4) of Directive 2008/56/EC .

(25) The Commission , after consulting the Advisory Councils and Member States concerned, should be able to adopt temporary measures in the event of a serious threat, requiring immediate action, to the conservation of marine biological resources or to the marine ecosystem resulting from fishing activities. These measures should be established within defined timescales and should be operational for a fixed period of time. [Am. 30]

(26) Member States , after duly taking into account the views of relevant Advisory Councils and stakeholders, should be able to adopt conservation measures and technical measures for the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy to allow for the policy to better address the realities and specificities of the various sea basins and the individual fisheries and to increase the adherence to the policy. [Am. 31]

(26a) Member States should be encouraged to cooperate with one another on a regional basis. [Am. 32]

(27) In their 12 nautical mile zone, Member States should be allowed to adopt conservation and management measures applicable to all Union fishing vessels, provided that, where such measures apply to Union fishing vessels from other Member States, the measures adopted are non-discriminatory, prior consultation of other interested Member States has taken place and that the Union has not adopted measures specifically addressing conservation and management within that 12 nautical mile zone.

(28) Member States should be allowed to adopt conservation and management measures for stocks in Union waters applicable solely to Union fishing vessels flying their flag.

(28a) Access to the fishery should be based on transparent and objective environmental and social criteria, as a means of promoting responsible fishing which would serve to ensure that those operators who fish in the least environmentally damaging way and provide the greatest benefits for society are encouraged. [Am. 234]

(29) A system of transferable fishing concessions for the majority of managed stocks under the Common Fisheries Policy should be implemented no later than 31 December 2013 for all vessels of 12 meters' length or over and all other vessels fishing with towed gears. Member States may exclude vessels up to 12 meters' length other than vessels using towed gear from transferable fishing concessions. Such a system should contribute to industry-induced fleet reductions and improved economic performance while at the same time creating legally secure and exclusive transferable fishing concession of a Member State's annual fishing opportunities. Since marine biological resources are a common good, transferable fishing concessions should only establish user entitlements to a Member State's part of annual fishing opportunities which may be recalled according to established rules. [Am. 33]

(29a) In accordance with the subsidiarity principle, each Member State should be allowed to choose its method of allocating the fishing opportunities assigned to it without an allocation system being imposed at Union level. In this way, Member States will remain free to establish, or not to establish, a system of transferable fishing concessions. [Am. 37]

(30) Fishing concessions should be transferable and leasable in order to decentralise management of fishing opportunities towards the fishing industry and ensuring that fishers leaving the industry will not need to rely on public financial assistance under the Common Fisheries Policy. [Am. 35]

(31) Specific characteristics and socio-economic vulnerability of some small-scale fleets justify the limitation of the mandatory system of transferable fishing concessions to large vessels. The system of transferable fishing concessions should apply to stocks for which fishing opportunities are allocated. [Am. 36]

(31a) The Commission should assess the fishing fleet in order to obtain credible data concerning the precise level of overcapacity at Union level, thereby making it possible to propose appropriate and targeted instruments for its reduction. [Am. 34]

(31b) A binding system should be established to evaluate fleet registers and to verify capacity ceilings, in order to ensure that each Member State respects the capacity ceilings assigned to it and to strengthen the fisheries control system so that fishing capacity is aligned with the resources available. [Am. 38]

(32) For Union fishing vessels not operating under a system of transferable fishing concessions, In some cases, Member States still need to take specific measures may be taken to align the number of Union their fishing vessels capacity with the available resources. Such measures should set compulsory maximum fleet capacity ceilings and establish national entry/exit schemes in relation to decommissioning funding granted under the European Fisheries Fund. Capacity should therefore be assessed for each stock and basin in the Union. This assessment should be based on common guidelines. Each Member State should be able to choose the measures and instruments which it wishes to adopt in order to reduce excessive fishing capacity. [Am. 39]

(33) Member States should record the minimum information on characteristics and activities of Union fishing vessels flying their flag. Those records should be made available to the Commission for the purpose of monitoring the size of Member States' fleets.

(34) Fisheries management based on the best available full and accurate scientific advice requires harmonised, reliable and accurate data sets. Therefore Member states should collect data on fleets and their fishing activities, in particular biological data on catches, including discards, survey information on fish stocks and on the potential environmental impact of fishing activities on the marine ecosystem. The Commission should foster the necessary conditions for data harmonisation so as to promote an ecosystem-based interpretation of resources. [Am. 40]

(35) Data collection should include data which facilitate the economic assessment of all undertakings active in the fisheries sector, in aquaculture and in the processing of fisheries and aquaculture products , regardless of their size, and of employment trends in these industries , as well as data on the impact of such developments on fishing communities . [Am. 41]

(36) Member States should manage and make available to end-users of scientific-data the collected data, on the basis of a multi-annual Union program , supplying the relevant results to stakeholders . Regional authorities should be involved more actively in data collection activities . Member States should also cooperate with each other to coordinate data collection activities. Where relevant, Member States should also cooperate with third countries within the same sea basin regarding data collection , where possible acting through a regional body established for this purpose, bearing in mind the need to comply with international law, and in particular Unclos . [Am. 42]

(37) Policy-oriented fisheries science should be reinforced by means of nationally-adopted fisheries scientific data collection, independent research and innovation programs in coordination with other Member States as well as by Union research and innovation framework tools , and by the necessary data harmonisation and systematisation that the Commission is to carry out . [Am. 43]

(38) The Union should promote the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy internationally. To this end, the Union should strive to improve the performance of regional and international organisations in the conservation and the sustainable management of international fish stocks, by promoting decision-making based on science and, improved compliance, increased transparency and , ensuring effective stakeholder participation, and by combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities. [Am. 44]

(39) Sustainable fisheries agreements concluded with third countries should ensure that Union fishing activities in third country waters are based on the best available scientific advice, ensuring the sustainable exploitation and the conservation of the marine biological resources , while respecting the principle of surplus referred to in Unclos . Those agreements, which provide for access rights in exchange for a financial contribution from the Union, should contribute to the establishment of a high quality scientific data collection system and of a high quality governance framework to ensure in particular efficient monitoring, control and surveillance measures. [Am. 45]

(40) The introduction of a human rights clause in sustainable fisheries agreements should be fully consistent with the overall Union development policy objectives.

(41) Respect for democratic principles and human rights, as laid down in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other relevant international human rights instruments, and for the principle of the rule of law, should constitute an essential element of Sustainable Fisheries Agreements and be subject to a specific human rights clause.

(41a) In view of the serious piracy problem affecting those Union vessels fishing in third countries under bilateral or multilateral agreements and in view of the particular vulnerability of such vessels to piracy, measures and operations should be strengthened in order to protect them. [Am. 46]

(42) Aquaculture should contribute to the preservation of the food production potential on a sustainable basis throughout the Union so as to guarantee long-term food security including food supplies, as well as growth and employment for European citizens and to contribute to the growing world aquatic food demand. [Am. 47]

(43) The Commission's Strategy for the Sustainable Development of European Aquaculture (16) adopted in 2009, which was welcomed and endorsed by the Council and welcomed by the European Parliament, noted the need for the creation and promotion of a level-playing field for aquaculture as the basis for its sustainable development.

(44) The Common Fisheries Policy should contribute to Europe 2020 Strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, and help achieve the objectives set out in that strategy (17).

(45) Aquaculture activities in the Union are influenced by different conditions across national borders, including as regards authorisations for the operators, Union strategic guidelines for national strategic plans should be developed to improve the competitiveness of the aquaculture industry, supporting its development and innovation, and encouraging economic activity, diversification and improving the quality of life in coastal and rural areas, as well as mechanisms to exchange among Member States information and best practices through an open method of coordination of national measures concerning business security, access to Union waters and space, and administrative simplification of licensing.

(46) The specific nature of aquaculture requires an Advisory Council for stakeholder consultation on elements of Union policies which could affect aquaculture.

(46a) In view of the special characteristics of the outermost regions, particularly their geographical remoteness and the importance of fishing to their economies, an Advisory Council should be set up for the outermost regions, divided into three sections covering the West Atlantic, East Atlantic and the Indian Ocean sea basins. One of the aims of that Advisory Council should be to contribute to measures against illegal, undeclared and unmanaged fishing worldwide. [Am. 48]

(47) There is a need to strengthen the competitiveness of the Union fishery and aquaculture sector, and a call for simplification in support of better management of production and marketing activities of the sector. In doing so it is necessary to ensure reciprocity in trade with third countries so as to create a level playing field on the Union market, not just as regards the sustainability of fisheries, but also as regards health checks ; the Common Market Organisation for fishery and aquaculture products should ensure a level-playing field for all fishing and aquaculture products marketed , regardless of whether these products originate in the Union or in third countries , should enable consumers to make better informed choices and based on traceability, should support responsible consumption, and should improve the economic knowledge and understanding of the Union markets along the supply chain. The part of this Regulation concerning the Common Market Organisation should include provisions making imports of fisheries and aquaculture products subject to compliance with internationally recognised social and environmental standards. [Am. 49]

(48) The Common Market Organisation should be implemented in compliance with international commitments of the Union, in particular with regard to the provisions of the World Trade Organisation. The success of the common fisheries policy requires an effective system of control, inspection and enforcement, including the fight against IUU fishing activities. A Consequently, existing legislation in this area should be implemented effectively and a Union system for control, inspection, and enforcement should be established so as to ensure compliance with the Common Fisheries Policy's rules. [Am. 50]

(49) The use of modern , effective technologies should be promoted in the framework of the Union system for control, inspection, and enforcement. Member States or the Commission should have the possibility to conduct pilot projects on new control technologies and data management systems. [Am. 51]

(50) To ensure the involvement of concerned operators in the Union system for control, inspection, and enforcement, Member States should be able to require the holders of a fishing licence of Union fishing vessels of 12 meters length over all or more flying their flag their operators to contribute proportionally to the operational costs of that system. [Am. 196]

(51) The objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy cannot be sufficiently achieved by Member States given the problems encountered in the development of the fishing industry and its management, and the limits on the financial resources of the Member States. Therefore, to contribute to the achievement of those objectives, multiannual Union financial assistance should be granted, focused on the priorities of the Common Fisheries Policy and tailored to the specific features of the fishing industry in individual Member States . [Am. 52]

(51a) Union financial assistance should facilitate the development of public goods and services in the fisheries sector, and in particular support control and monitoring measures, information gathering, research and the development of activities aimed at ensuring a healthy marine ecosystem. [Am. 245]

(52) Union financial assistance should be made conditional upon compliance by Member States and operators , including vessel owners, with the Common Fisheries Policy. Thus such financial assistance should be interrupted, suspended or corrected in cases of non-compliance with the rules of Common Fisheries Policy by Member States and serious infringements of those rules by operators. [Am. 53]

(53) Dialogue with stakeholders has proven essential for the achievement of the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy. Taking into account the diverse conditions throughout Union waters and increased regionalisation of the Common Fisheries Policy, Advisory Councils should enable the Common Fisheries Policy to benefit from the knowledge and experience of all stakeholders , particularly in the drafting of the multiannual plans . [Am. 54]

(54) It appears appropriate that the Commission be empowered by delegated acts to create In view of the special characteristics of the outermost regions, of aquaculture and inland fishing, of markets and of the Black Sea, it is appropriate to establish a new Advisory Council and to modify areas of competence of existing ones, in particular considering the specificities of the Black Sea for each of them . [Am. 55]

(55) To achieve the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy, the power to adopt acts in accordance with Article 290 TFEU should be delegated to the Commission for the purpose of specifying fishing related measures to alleviate the impact of fishing activities in special areas of conservation alleviating, where imperative grounds of urgency so require, a serious threat to the conservation of marine biological resources, or to the marine eco-system , adaptation of the obligation to land all catches for the purpose of complying with the Union's international obligations, default conservation measures in the framework of multiannual plans or technical measures, the recalculation of fleet capacity ceilings, definition of information on characteristics and activity for Union fishing vessels, rules for carrying out pilot projects on new control technologies and data management systems, amendments to Annex III in relation to the areas of competence for Advisory Councils and the composition and functioning of Advisory Councils. [Am. 56]

(56) It is of particular importance that the Commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work for the adoption of delegated acts, including at expert level.

(57) The Commission, when preparing and drawing-up delegated acts, should ensure a simultaneous, timely and appropriate transmission of relevant documents to the European Parliament and Council.

(58) In order to ensure uniform conditions for the implementation of technical operational requirements for the modalities for transmission of information related to fishing fleet registers and to data requirements for fisheries management, implementing powers should be conferred on the Commission. Those powers should be exercised in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 February 2011 laying down the rules and general principles concerning mechanisms for control by Member States of the Commission's exercise of implementing powers (18).

(59) To achieve the basic objective of the Common Fisheries Policy, namely to provide long-term sustainable environmental, economic and social conditions for the fishing and aquaculture sectors, and to contribute to the availability of food supplies, it is necessary and appropriate to lay down rules on the conservation and exploitation of marine biological resources and rules that ensure the economic and social sustainability of the Union fishing and shell-fishing sector, where appropriate, providing sufficient funding . [Am. 57]

(60) In accordance with the principle of proportionality as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union, this Regulation does not go beyond what is necessary to achieve that objective.

(61) Council Decision 2004/585/EC of 19 July 2004 establishing Regional Advisory Councils under the Common Fisheries Policy (19) should be repealed upon entry in force of the corresponding rules pursuant to this Regulation.

(62) Regulation (EC) No 199/2008 of 25 February 2008 concerning the establishment of a Community framework for the collection, management and use of data in the fisheries sector and support scientific advice regarding the common fisheries policy (20) should be repealed, but should continue to apply to the national programmes adopted for the collection and management of data for the years 2011 — 2013. [Am. 58]

(63) By reason of the number and importance of the amendments to be made, Council Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002 should be repealed,

HAVE ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

PART I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1

Scope

1. The Common Fisheries Policy shall cover:

(a) the conservation, management and exploitation of marine biological resources; and the sustainable exploitation and management of fisheries targeting such resources;

(b) fresh water biological resources, aquaculture, and the processing and marketing of fisheries and aquaculture products, in relation to measures on markets and financial measures in support of the Common Fisheries Policy. , structural measures and the management of the fleet capacity;

(ba) the social and economic viability of fishing activities , the promotion of employment in, and the development of, coastal communities and the specific problems of small scale and artisanal fishing and aquaculture. [Am. 59]

2. The Common Fisheries Policy shall cover the activities referred to in paragraph 1 where they are carried out:

(a) on the territory of Member States; or

(b) in Union waters, including by fishing vessels flying the flag of, and registered in, third countries; or

(c) by Union fishing vessels outside Union waters; or

(d) by nationals of Member States, without prejudice to the primary responsibility of the flag State.

Article 2

General Objectives

1. The Common Fisheries Policy shall ensure that fishing and aquaculture activities provide long-term sustainable environmental, are environmentally sustainable in the long-term and are managed in a way that is consistent with the objectives of achieving economic and, social conditions and contribute and employment benefits, of contributing to the availability of food supplies and recreational fishing opportunities, and of allowing for processing industries and land-based activities directly linked to fishing activities, while taking into account the interests of both consumers and producers .

2. The Common Fisheries Policy shall apply the precautionary approach to fisheries management, and shall aim to ensure that , by 2015, that exploitation of living marine biological resources restores and maintains populations of harvested species above levels which can produce fishing mortality rates are set at levels that should allow fish stocks to recover, by 2020 at the latest, above levels that are capable of producing the maximum sustainable yield and that should allow all recovered stocks to be maintained at these levels .

3. The Common Fisheries Policy shall implement the ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management and aquaculture to ensure that the impacts of fishing and aquaculture contribute to the objective of minimising the impact of human activities on the marine ecosystem are limited , that they do not contribute to the degradation of the marine environment and that they are effectively tailored to individual fisheries and regions .

3a. The Common Fisheries Policy shall promote the sustainable development and the well-being of coastal communities, and the employment, the working conditions, and the safety of fishing operators.

4. The Common Fisheries Policy shall integrate be consistent with the Union 's environmental legislation requirements as well as with other Union policies .

4a. The Common Fisheries Policy shall ensure that the fishing capacity of the fleets is aligned with exploitation levels that comply with paragraph 2.

4b. The Common Fisheries Policy shall contribute to the collection of comprehensive and credible scientific data. [Am. 60]

Article 3

Specific objectives

For the purpose of achieving the general objectives set out in Article 2, the Common Fisheries Policy shall in particular:

(a) prevent, minimise and as far as possible eliminate unwanted catches of commercial stocks and gradually ensure that all catches of such stocks are landed;

(aa) ensure that all catches of harvested and regulated stocks are landed, taking the best scientific advice into account, and avoiding the creation of new markets or expanding existing ones;

(b) provide conditions for efficient environmentally sustainable fishing activities within in the Union to restore an economically viable and competitive fishing industry , ensuring fair conditions within the internal market ;

(c) promote the development of Union aquaculture activities to and of the industries linked to them, ensuring that they are environmentally sustainable and that they contribute to food security and employment in coastal and rural areas;

(d) promote an equitable distribution of marine resources in order to contribute to a fair standard of living for those who depend on fishing activities;

(e) take into account the interests of consumers;

(f) ensure systematic and, harmonised , regular and reliable data collection and transparent data management and address the issues arising from data-poor stock management ;

(fa) promote small-scale coastal fishing activities;

(fb) contribute to the achievement and maintenance of good environmental status as set out in Article 1(1) of Directive 2008/56/EC. [Ams 61 and 235]

Article 4

Principles of good governance

The Common Fisheries Policy shall be guided by apply the following principles of good governance:

(a) clear definition of responsibilities at the Union, regional, national, regional and local levels , respecting the constitutional arrangements of each Member State ;

(aa) the need to take a decentralised and regionalised approach to fisheries management;

(b) establishment of measures in accordance with the best available scientific advice;

(c) a long-term perspective;

(ca) the reduction of administrative costs;

(d) broad the appropriate involvement of stakeholders , in particular of Advisory Councils and social partners, at all stages — from conception to implementation — of the measures , that ensures that regional special characteristics are preserved, through a regionalised approach ;

(e) the primary responsibility of the flag State;

(f) consistence with the integrated maritime policy, and with other Union policies;

(fa) the need to carry out environmental and strategic impact assessments;

(fb) the parity between the internal and external dimension of the Common Fisheries Policy, such that standards and enforcement mechanisms applied within the Union are also applied externally, when applicable;

(fc) transparent data-handling and decision-making in accordance with the Convention of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe on access to information, public participation in decision-making and access to justice in environmental matters (‘the Aarhus Convention’), approved on behalf of the Union by Council Decision 2005/370/EC (21) . [Ams 62 and 220]

Article 5

Definitions

For the purpose of this Regulation the following definitions shall apply:

(1) ‘Union waters’ means the waters and the seabeds under the sovereignty or jurisdiction of the Member States with the exception of the waters those adjacent to the territories listed in Annex II to the Treaty; [Am. 63]

(2) ‘marine biological resources’ means available and accessible living marine aquatic species, including anadromous and catadromous species through all stages of their life cycle;

(3) ‘fresh water biological resources’ means available and accessible living fresh water aquatic species;

(4) ‘fishing vessel’ means any vessel equipped for commercial fishing of marine biological resources;

(5) ‘Union fishing vessel’ means a fishing vessel flying the flag of a Member State and registered in the Union;

(5a) ‘fishermen’ means any person engaging in professional fishing, as recognised by a Member State, on board an operational fishing vessel or engaging in the professional harvesting of marine organisms, as recognised by the Member State, without a vessel; [Am. 64]

(5b) ‘entry to the fishing fleet’ means registration of a fishing vessel in the fishing vessel register of a Member State; [Am. 65]

(6) ‘maximum sustainable yield’ means the maximum catch highest theoretical equilibrium yield that may can be continuously taken (on average) from a fish stock indefinitely under existing (average) environmental conditions without significantly affecting the reproduction process ; [Am. 66]

(6a) ‘harvested species’ means species subject to fishing pressure/exploitation, including species caught as by-catch or affected by a fishery but not landed; [Am. 67]

(7) ‘precautionary approach to fisheries management’ , as referred to in Article 6 of the UN Fish Stocks Agreement, means an approach according to which the absence of adequate scientific information should not justify postponing or failing to take management measures to conserve target species, associated or dependent species and non-target species and their environment; [Am. 68]

(8) ‘ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management’ means an approach ensuring that benefits from living aquatic resources are high while the direct and indirect impacts of fishing operations on marine ecosystems are low and not detrimental to the future functioning, diversity and integrity of those ecosystems decision-making considers the impacts of fishing, other human activities and environmental factors on target stocks and all other species belonging to the same ecosystem or associated with or dependent upon the target stocks, ensuring that the collective pressure of such activities is kept within levels that are compatible with the achievement of good environmental status ; [Am. 237]

(9) ‘fishing mortality rate’ means the catches of a stock over a given period as a proportion of the average stock available to the rate at which biomass and individuals of species are removed from a stock by means of fishery in that period activities ; [Am. 70]

(9a) ‘FMSY’ means the fishing mortality rate that is consistent with achieving the maximum sustainable yield; [Am. 71]

(10) ‘stock’ means a marine biological resource with distinctive characteristics that occurs in a given management area; [Am. 72]

(11) ‘catch limit’ means a quantitative limit on landings the catches of a fish stock or group of fish stocks over a given period; [Am. 73]

(11a) ‘unwanted catches’ means catches of species below minimum conservation reference size or minimum landing size, or catches of prohibited or protected species, or of non-marketable species or individuals of marketable species which do not meet the requirements specified in the provisions of Union fisheries legislation laying down technical, monitoring and conservation measures; [Am. 74]

(12) ‘conservation reference point’ means values of fish stock population parameters (such as biomass (B), spawning stock biomass (SSB) or fishing mortality rate (F) ) used in fisheries management to define , for example with respect to, an acceptable level of biological risk or a desired level of yield; [Am. 75]

(12a) ‘limit reference point’ means values of fish stock population parameters (such as biomass or fishing mortality rate) used in fisheries management to indicate a threshold above or below which fisheries management is consistent with a management objective such as an acceptable level of biological risk or a desired level of yield; [Am. 76]

(12b) ‘stock within safe biological limits’ means a stock with a high probability that its estimated spawning biomass at the end of the previous year is higher than the limit biomass reference point (Blim) and its estimated fishing mortality rate for the previous year is less than the limit fishing mortality rate reference point (Flim); [Am. 77]

(13) ‘safeguard’ means a precautionary measure designed to or prevent avoid something undesirable occurring; [Am. 78]

(14) ‘technical measures’ means the measures that regulate the species composition, size composition of catches and impacts on components of the ecosystems or their functioning resulting from fishing activities through by imposing conditions concerning the use and structure characteristics of fishing gear and restriction by imposing time or space-related restrictions of access to fishing areas; [Am. 79]

(14a) ‘essential fish habitats’ means fragile marine habitats that need to be protected due to their vital role in meeting the ecological and biological needs of fish species, including spawning, nursery and feeding grounds; [Am. 80]

(14b) ‘fishing protected area’ means a geographically defined sea area in which all or certain fishing activities are temporarily or permanently banned or restricted in order to improve the exploitation and conservation of living aquatic resources or the protection of marine ecosystems; [Am. 81]

(15) ‘fishing opportunity’ means a quantified legal entitlement to fish a certain fish stock , expressed in terms of maximum catches and/or maximum fishing effort and conditions functionally linked thereto which are necessary to quantify them at a certain level for a given management area ; [Am. 82]

(16) ‘fishing effort’ means the product of the capacity and the activity of a fishing vessel; for a group of fishing vessels it is the sum of the fishing effort of all vessels in the group;

(17) ‘transferable fishing concessions’ means revocable user entitlements to a specific part of fishing opportunities allocated to a Member State or established in management plans adopted by a Member State in accordance with Article 19 of Regulation (EC) No 1967/2006 (22) , which the holder may transfer to other eligible holders of such transferable fishing concessions; [Am. 83]

(18) ‘individual fishing opportunities’ means annual fishing opportunities allocated to holders of transferable fishing concessions in a Member State on the basis of the proportion of fishing opportunities pertaining to that Member State; [Am. 84]

(19) ‘fishing capacity’ means the ability of a vessel to catch fish, measured in terms of vessel characteristics, including a vessel's tonnage in GT (Gross Tonnage) and, its power in kW (Kilowatt) as defined in Articles 4 and 5 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2930/86 of 22 September 1986 defining characteristics for fishing vessels (23) , as well as the character and size of its fishing gears and any other parameter that affects its ability to catch fish ; [Am. 85]

(19a) ‘living capacity’ means the areas on board intended solely to provide a living and resting space for the crew; [Am. 86]

(20) ‘aquaculture’ means the rearing or cultivation of aquatic organisms using techniques designed to increase the production of the organisms in question beyond the natural capacity of the environment, where the organisms remain the property of a natural or legal person throughout the rearing and culture stage, up to and including harvesting; [Am. 87]

(21) ‘fishing licence’ means a licence as referred to in Article 4(9) of 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 (24);

(22) ‘fishing authorisation’ means an authorisation as referred to in Article 4(10) of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009;

(23) ‘fishing’ means the collection or capture of aquatic organisms living in their natural environment, or the intentional use of any means allowing such collection or capture;

(24) ‘fishery products’ means the aquatic organisms resulting from any fishing activity;

(25) ‘operator’ means the natural or legal person who operates or holds any enterprise carrying out any of the activities related to any stage of production, processing, marketing, distribution and retail chains of fisheries and aquaculture products , or any other organisation representing fisheries professionals which is legally recognised and is in charge of managing access to fisheries resources, professional fisheries activities and aquaculture ; [Am. 88]

(26) ‘serious infringement’ means an infringement as defined in Article 42(1) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008 of 29 September 2008 establishing a Community system to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (25) and in Article 90(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009;

(27) ‘end-user of scientific data’ means a research body with a research or management , or a management body with an interest in the scientific analysis of data in the fisheries sector; [Am. 89]

(28) ‘surplus of allowable catch’ means that part of the allowable catch which a coastal State does not have the capacity to harvest fish during a given period of time, resulting in an overall exploitation rate for individual stocks that remains below levels at which stocks are capable of restoring themselves and maintaining populations of harvested species above levels which can produce the maximum sustainable yield ; [Am. 90]

(29) ‘aquaculture products’ mean the aquatic organisms at any stage of their life cycle resulting from any aquaculture activity;

(30) ‘spawning stock biomass’ means an estimate of the mass of the fish of a particular resource that reproduces are sufficiently mature to reproduce at a defined time, including both males and females and including fish that reproduce viviparously; [Am. 91]

(31) ‘mixed fisheries’ means fisheries where in which more than one species are is present in the area being fished a given area and are vulnerable to being may be caught in the fishing gear in the same catch ; [Am. 92]

(32) ‘sustainable fisheries agreements’ mean international agreements concluded with another state for the purpose of obtaining access to resources or waters in order to sustainably exploit a share of the surplus of marine biological resources in exchange for financial compensation from the Union , to support the local fishing sector, with a particular emphasis on scientific data collection, monitoring and control, or for the purpose of obtaining reciprocal access to resources or waters by an exchange of fishing opportunities between the Union and the third country ; [Am. 93]

(32a) ‘by-catch’ means the capture of any non-target organism, regardless of whether it is retained and landed or discarded; [Am. 95]

(32b) ‘catch’ means any marine biological resources that are captured by fishing; [Am. 96]

(32c) ‘low impact fishing’ means utilising selective fishing techniques, which have a minimal detrimental impact on marine ecosystems and result in low fuel emissions; [Am. 97]

(32d) ‘selective fishing’ means fishing with fishing methods or fishing gears that target and capture organisms by size and species during the fishing operation, allowing non-target species to be avoided or released unharmed; [Am. 98]

PART II

ACCESS TO WATERS

Article 6

General rules on access to waters

1. Union fishing vessels shall have equal access to waters and resources in all Union waters other than those referred to in paragraphs 2 and 3, subject to the measures adopted under Part III.

2. In the waters up to 12 nautical miles from baselines under their sovereignty or jurisdiction, Member States shall be authorised from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2022 to restrict fishing to fishing vessels that traditionally fish in those waters from ports on the adjacent coast, without prejudice to the arrangements for Union fishing vessels flying the flag of other Member States under existing neighbourhood relations between Member States and the arrangements contained in Annex I, fixing for each Member State the geographical zones within the coastal bands of other Member States where fishing activities are pursued and the species concerned. Member States may provide for exclusive or preferential access for small scale, artisanal or coastal fishermen, taking into account social and environmental factors including the potential benefits to be derived from awarding exclusive or preferential access for local or micro businesses and for fishermen pursuing selective and low-impact fishing practices. Member States shall inform the Commission of the restrictions put in place under this paragraph. [Am. 251]

3. In the waters up to 100 nautical miles from the baselines of the Azores, Madeira and the Canary Islands, the Member States concerned may from 1 January 2013 to 31 December 2022 restrict fishing to vessels registered in the ports of those islands. Such restrictions shall not apply to Union vessels that traditionally fish in those waters, in so far as those vessels do not exceed the fishing effort traditionally exerted. Member States shall inform the Commission of the restrictions put in place under this paragraph.

3a. The status of the existing biologically sensitive area, as defined in Article 6 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1954/2003 of 4 November 2003 on the management of the fishing effort relating to certain Community fishing areas and resources (26) , shall be maintained in its current form. [Am. 99]

4. The provisions which will follow arrangements set out in paragraphs 2 and 3 shall be adopted by 31 December 2022.

PART III

MEASURES FOR THE CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE EXPLOITATION OF MARINE BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES [Am. 100]

TITLE I

TYPES OF MEASURES

Article - 7

General provisions on conservation measures

1. For the purpose of achieving the general objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy set out in Article 2, the Union shall adopt measures for the conservation and sustainable exploitation of marine biological resources as set out in Articles 7 and 8. They shall, in particular, be adopted in the form of multiannual plans in accordance with Articles 9, 10 and 11.

2. Such measures shall comply with the objectives set out in Articles 2 and 3 and shall be adopted taking into account the best available scientific advice and the opinions received from the relevant Advisory Councils.

3. Member States shall be empowered to adopt conservation measures in accordance with Articles 17 to 24 and with other relevant provisions of this Regulation. [Am. 101]

Article 7

Types of conservation measures

Measures for the conservation and sustainable exploitation of marine biological resources may include the following:

(a) adopting multiannual plans under Articles 9 — 11;

(b) establishing targets for the sustainable exploitation and conservation of stocks and for the protection of the marine environment from the impact of fishing activities ;

(c) adopting measures for the purpose of adapting the number of fishing vessels and/or types of fishing vessels to available fishing opportunities;

(d) establishing incentives, including those of an economic nature, to promote more selective or low impact fishing and fishing methods that have a low impact on the marine ecosystem and fishery resources, including giving preferential access to national fishing opportunities and incentives of an economic nature ;

(e) adopting measures on the fixing and the allocation of fishing opportunities , as defined in Article 16 ;

(f) adopting technical measures as referred to in Article Articles 8 and 14;

(g) adopting measures concerning the obligation to land all catches to achieve the objectives of Article 15 ;

(h) conducting pilot projects on alternative types of fishing management techniques. and on gears that increase selectivity or that minimise the impact of fishing activities on the marine environment;

(ha) adopting measures which help Member States to fulfil obligations under environmental legislation;

(hb) adopting other measures that contribute to achieving the objectives of Articles 2 and 3 . [Am. 102]

Article 7a

Establishment of fish stock recovery areas

1. In order to secure the conservation of living aquatic resources and marine ecosystems, and as part of a precautionary approach, Member States shall establish a coherent network of fish stock recovery areas in which all fishing activities are prohibited, that includes, in particular, areas important for fish reproduction.

2. Member States shall identify and designate the areas that are necessary to establish a coherent network of fish stock recovery areas. [Am. 103]

Article 8

Types of technical measures

Technical measures may include the following:

(a) mesh sizes definitions of the characteristics of fishing gears and rules concerning the their use of fishing gears;

(b) restrictions specifications for the construction of fishing gear, including: (i) modifications or additional devices to improve selectivity or to reduce minimise the negative impact on the benthic zone ecosystem ; (ii) modifications or additional devices to reduce the incidental capture of endangered, threatened and protected species , as well as other unwanted catches ;

(c) prohibitions of or restrictions on the use of certain fishing gears in certain areas or seasons or of other technical equipment ;

(d) prohibition prohibitions of, or restriction of on, fishing activities in certain zones and/or periods;

(e) requirements for fishing vessels to cease operating in an a defined area for a defined minimum period in order to protect a essential fish habitats, temporary aggregation aggregations of a vulnerable marine resource , endangered species, spawning fish or juveniles ;

(f) specific measures to reduce minimise the negative impact of fishing activities on marine biodiversity and marine eco-systems and non target species , particularly those identified as bio-geographically sensitive such as the seamounts around the outermost regions, the resources of which should be exploited by the local fleet operating selective and environmentally-friendly fishing gear, including measures to avoid, to reduce and, as far as possible, to eliminate unwanted catches .

(g) other technical measures aimed at protecting marine biodiversity. [Ams 104 and 295]

TITLE II

UNION MEASURES

Article 9

Multiannual plans

1. Multiannual plans providing for The European Parliament and the Council, acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, shall, as a priority and at the latest by… (27) establish multiannual plans that follow scientific advice from STECF and ICES and that include conservation measures to maintain or restore fish stocks above levels capable of producing maximum sustainable yield shall be established as a priority in accordance with Article 2(2). Multiannual plans shall also enable other objectives, set out in Articles 2 and 3, to be achieved .

2. Multiannual plans shall provide for:

(a) the basis for fixing fishing opportunities for the fish stocks concerned on the basis of predefined conservation reference points; and /or limit reference points which shall be consistent with the objectives set out in Article 2 and in accordance with scientific advice; and

(b) measures that are capable of effectively preventing conservation limit reference points from being transgressed and that aim to reach conservation reference points .

3. Multiannual plans shall, where possible, cover either fisheries exploiting single fish stocks or fisheries exploiting a mixture of stocks, taking due account of interactions between stocks and, fisheries and marine ecosystems .

4. Multiannual plans shall be based on the precautionary approach to fisheries management and shall take into account the limitations of the available data and assessment methods , including data-poor stock assessments, and all quantified sources of uncertainty in a scientifically valid manner. [Am. 105]

Article 10

Objectives of multiannual plans

1. Multiannual plans shall provide for adaptations the adaptation of the fishing mortality rate, resulting in a rates, so that, by 2015, fishing mortality rate that restores and maintains all stocks rates are set at levels that should allow fish stocks to recover, by 2020 at the latest, above levels that are capable of producing the maximum sustainable yield by 2015 and that should allow all recovered stocks to be maintained at these levels .

2. In cases where the determination of a fishing mortality rate that restores and maintains stocks above levels capable of producing maximum sustainable yield , as established in paragraph 1, is not possible, multiannual plans shall provide for apply the precautionary approach to fisheries management and shall set out proxy standards and measures ensuring that ensure at least a comparable degree of conservation of the relevant stocks.

2a. Without prejudice to the provisions of paragraphs 1 and 2, the measures to be included in multiannual plans, and the calendar for implementing them, shall be proportionate to the objectives and targets pursued and to the timeframe envisaged. Before measures are included in the multiannual plans account shall be taken of their likely economic and social impact. Save in urgent cases, such measures shall be implemented gradually.

2b. Multiannual plans may contain provisions to address the specific problems of mixed fisheries in relation to the maintenance and restoration of stocks above levels capable of producing maximum sustainable yield, where scientific advice indicates that increases in selectivity to avoid the phenomenon of ‘choke species’ cannot be achieved. [Ams 106 and 107]

Article 11

Content of multiannual plans

1. A multiannual plan shall include:

(a) the scope, in terms of geographical area, stocks, fishery fisheries and the marine ecosystem ecosystems to which the multiannual plan shall be applied;

(b) objectives that are consistent with the objectives set out in Articles 2 and 3 and with the relevant provisions of Articles - 7a, 9 and 10 ;

(ba) an assessment of fleet capacity and, where there is no effective balance between fishing capacity and the available fishing opportunities, a capacity reduction plan including a timeline and the specific steps to be undertaken by each Member State concerned in order to align such fishing capacity with the available fishing opportunities within a binding timetable; without prejudice to the obligations laid down in Article 34, such assessment should also include an evaluation of the socioeconomic dimension of the fleet being assessed;

(bb) an assessment of the socio-economic impact of the measures taken in the multiannual plan;

(c) quantifiable targets expressed in terms of: (i) fishing mortality rates, and/or (ii) spawning stock biomass, and (iia) maximum percentages of unwanted and unauthorised catches, and (iib) maximum annual changes in fishing opportunities; (iii) stability of catches.

(d) clear time frames to reach all the quantifiable targets;

(da) provisions to systematically reduce fishing opportunities when the quality or quantity of data available from the fishery declines;

(e) conservation and technical measures including measures concerning the elimination of to be taken in order to achieve the targets set out in Article 15 and measures designed to avoid and as far as possible eliminate unwanted catches;

(f) quantifiable indicators for periodic monitoring and assessment of the progress related to achieving the targets of the multiannual plan and of its socio-economic impact ;

(g) where appropriate, specific measures and objectives for the freshwater part of the life cycle of anadromous and catadromous species;

(h) minimisation of impacts measures for reducing the impact of fishing on the eco-system;

(i) safeguards and criteria activating those safeguards;

(ia) measures to ensure compliance with the multiannual plan;

(j) any other suitable and proportionate measures suitable to achieve the objectives of multiannual plans.

1a. Multiannual plans shall provide for periodic review for the purpose of assessing the progress made towards reaching their objectives. In particular, such periodic reviews shall take into account new elements, such as changes in the scientific advice, in order to allow for any necessary intermediate adjustments. [Ams 108 and 239]

Article 12

Compliance with obligations under Union environmental legislation in relation to protected areas

1. In special The Common Fisheries Policy and all subsequent measures adopted by Member States concerning special areas of conservation shall comply fully with Directive 92/43/EEC, Directive 2009/147/EC and Directive 2008/56/EC. Where a Member State has designated the areas of conservation within the meaning of mentioned in Article 6 of Directive 92/43/EEC, of Article 4 of Directive 2009/147/EC and of Article 13(4) of Directive 2008/56/EC, it shall, in consultation with the Commission, Advisory Councils and other relevant stakeholders, regulate fishing activities shall be conducted by Member States in such a way so as to alleviate the impact from fishing activities in such special areas of conservation in a way that complies fully with the objectives of those Directives . [Am. 109]

1a. All actions taken by the Union and by Member States under the CFP shall comply fully with the Aarhus Convention, Resolutions 61/105, 64/72 and 66/68 of the General Assembly of the United Nations, and the Agreement for the Implementation of the Provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982 relating to the Conservation and Management of Straddling Fish Stocks and Highly Migratory Fish Stocks. [Am. 257]

1b. For fisheries conducted entirely within waters under the sovereignty and jurisdiction of a single Member State, the Member State concerned shall be empowered to adopt measures that are necessary to comply with its obligations under Union environmental legislation, in relation to protected areas. Such measures shall be compatible with the objectives set out in Article 2 and shall be no less stringent than the existing Union legislation. [Am. 258]

1c. Member States with a direct fishing interest in the areas to be affected by measures referred to in paragraph 1 shall cooperate with one another in accordance with Article 21(1a). Any of those Member States may request that the Commission adopt the measures referred to in paragraph 1. [Am. 111]

1d. In order for the Commission to act upon a request referred to in paragraph 1c, the requesting Member State or Member States shall provide the Commission with all relevant information on the measures requested, including a statement of reasons for the request, as well as scientific data and details concerning the practical implementation of the measures. In adopting the measures, the Commission shall take into account any relevant scientific advice that is available to it. [Am. 260]

2. The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 55, to specify fishing related measures to alleviate the impact of fishing activities in special areas of conservation. [Am. 114]

2a. The European Parliament and the Council, acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure, on a proposal by the Commission, shall adopt measures to reduce the possible negative social and economic consequences of compliance with the obligations referred to in paragraph 1. [Am. 262]

Article 13

Commission measures in case of a serious threat to marine biological resources

1. On the basis of Where there is evidence , based on reliable scientific data, of a serious threat to the conservation of marine biological resources, or to the marine eco-system and requiring immediate action, the Commission, upon a reasoned request of a Member State or on its own initiative, may decide on temporary measures shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts, in accordance with Article 55, to alleviate the threat.

Those delegated acts shall be adopted only where imperative grounds of urgency so require and the procedure provided for in Article 55a shall apply.

2. The Member State shall communicate the reasoned request referred to in paragraph 1 simultaneously to the Commission, to the other Member States and to the Advisory Councils concerned. [Am. 115]

Article 13a

Member State emergency measures

1. If there is evidence that there is a serious and unforeseen threat to the conservation of living aquatic resources, or to the marine ecosystem resulting from fishing activities, in waters falling under the sovereignty or jurisdiction of a Member State and that any undue delay would result in damage that would be difficult to repair, that Member State may take emergency measures, the duration of which shall not exceed three months.

2. Member States intending to take emergency measures shall, before adopting them, notify the Commission, the other Member States and the relevant Advisory Councils of their intention to do so by sending a draft of those measures, together with an explanatory memorandum.

3. The Member States and the relevant Advisory Councils may submit their written comments to the Commission within five working days of the date of notification. The Commission shall adopt implementing acts confirming, cancelling or amending the measure. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 56(2).

On duly justified imperative grounds of urgency related to a serious and unforeseeable threat to the conservation of living aquatic resources, or to the marine ecosystem resulting from fishing activities, the Commission shall adopt immediately applicable implementing acts in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 56(3). [Am. 116]

Article 14

Technical measures frameworks

Technical measures frameworks to ensure the protection of marine biological resources and the reduction of the impact of fishing activities on fish stocks and on marine eco-systems shall be established. Technical measures frameworks shall:

(a) contribute to maintaining or restoring fish stocks above levels capable of producing maximum sustainable yield through improvements in size-selection and where appropriate species selection;

(b) reduce catches of undersized individuals from fish stocks;

(c) reduce catches of unwanted marine organisms;

(d) mitigate minimise the impact of fishing gear on the ecosystem and the marine environment, with particular regard to the protection of biologically sensitive stocks and fragile habitats , especially those habitats identified as bio-geographically sensitive such as the seamounts around the outermost regions, the resources of which are to be exploited, by the local fleet, using selective and environmentally friendly fishing gear . [Am. 296]

Article 14a

Avoidance and minimisation of unwanted catches

1. Before the introduction of the obligation to land all catches in the respective fishery in accordance with Article 15 , Member States shall, where necessary, conduct pilot projects, based on the best available scientific advice and taking into account the opinions of the relevant Advisory Councils, with the aim of fully exploring all practicable methods for the avoidance, minimisation and elimination of unwanted catches in a fishery. Those pilot projects shall, where appropriate, be conducted, by producer organisations. The results of such pilot projects shall be reflected in the multiannual plan of each fishery in the form of additional incentives to use the most selective gears and fishing methods available. Member States shall also produce a ‘discard atlas’ showing the level of discards in each of the fisheries covered by Article 15(1). That atlas shall be based on objective and representative data.

2. The Union shall provide financial support for the design and implementation of pilot projects introduced in accordance with paragraph 1, as well as for the use of selective gears in order to reduce unwanted and unauthorised catches. When adopting financial support measures, special consideration shall be given to fishermen who are subject to the obligation to land all catches and who operate in a mixed fishery. [Am. 118]

Article 15

Obligation to land and record all catches of harvested and regulated species

1. All catches of the following fish stocks subject to catch limits caught harvested and regulated species caught in the following fisheries during fishing activities in Union waters or by Union fishing vessels outside Union waters shall be brought and retained on board the fishing vessels and recorded and landed, except when used as live bait, in accordance with the following timeframe:

(a) At the latest from 1 January 2014: — small pelagic fisheries, i.e. fisheries for mackerel, herring, horse mackerel, blue whiting, boarfish, anchovy, argentine, sardinella, capelin sardine and sprat ; — large pelagic fisheries, i.e. fisheries for bluefin tuna, swordfish, albacore tuna, bigeye tuna, other billfish; — fisheries for industrial purposes, inter alia fisheries for capelin, sandeel and Norway pout; — salmon in the Baltic Sea;

(b) At the latest from 1 January 2015: cod, hake, sole; 1 January 2016: — the following fisheries in Union waters of the Northern Atlantic: The North Sea — fisheries for cod, haddock, whiting and saithe; — fisheries for Norway lobster; — fisheries for common sole and plaice; — fisheries for hake; — fisheries for Northern prawn; — other fisheries to be further analysed; — fisheries in the Baltic Sea other than salmon fisheries; North Western waters — fisheries for cod, haddock, whiting and saithe; — fisheries for Norway lobster; — fisheries for common sole and plaice; — fisheries for hake; — other fisheries to be further analysed; South Western waters — fisheries for cod, haddock, whiting and saithe; — fisheries for Norway lobster; — fisheries for common sole and plaice; — fisheries for hake; — other fisheries to be further analysed;

(c) At the latest from 1 January 2016: haddock, whiting, megrim, anglerfish, plaice, ling, saithe, pollack, lemon sole, turbot, brill, blue ling, black scabbard, roundnose grenadier, orange roughy, Greenland halibut, tusk, redfish and Mediterranean demersal stocks 1 January 2017, fisheries not covered by paragraph 1(a) in Union waters and in non-Union waters .

1a. Once an obligation to land all catches has been introduced in a fishery, all catches of species subject to that obligation shall be recorded and shall, where applicable be subtracted from the quota of the fishermen, producer organisation or collective management pool concerned, with the exception of species which may be released into the sea pursuant to paragraph 1b.

1b. The following species shall be excluded from the landing obligation laid down in paragraph 1:

— species captured to be used as live bait;

— species which the available scientific information shows have a high catch survival rate, bearing in mind the nature of the fishing gear, the fishing practices and the circumstances in the fishing area.

1c. For the purpose of simplifying and harmonising the implementation of the obligation to land all catches and in order to avoid inappropriate disruptions of the target fisheries and to decrease the amount of unwanted catches, the multiannual plans referred to in Article 9 or specific legal acts of the Union on the implementation of the landing obligation or other legal acts of the Union shall, where appropriate, lay down

(a) a list of non-target species of low natural abundance which may be counted against the quota of the target species of that fishery where: — the national yearly quota for this non-target species is completely utilised; — the accumulated catches of the non-target species do not exceed a 3 % share of the overall catch of the target species; and — the stock of the non-target species is within safe biological limits;

(b) rules on incentives to discourage the catching of juvenile fish, including increases in the quota shares to be deducted from a fisherman's quota in the event of catching juveniles.

2. Minimum conservation reference sizes Based on the best available and most accurate and up-to-date scientific advice and, where necessary, in order to protect juveniles by discouraging fishermen from deliberately fishing for them, minimum conservation reference sizes, reflecting the age and size for first reproduction shall be established, for the fish stocks which are subject to the obligation to land all catches set out in paragraph 1. The sale of Catches of such fish stocks below the minimum conservation reference size shall be restricted for reduction to uses other than human consumption, such as fish meal or , fish oil, pet food only or bait . The Member State concerned may also allow such fish to be donated for welfare or charitable purposes.

3. For stocks subject to a landing obligation, Member States may make use of a year-to-year margin of flexibility of up to 5 % of their permitted landings, without prejudice to higher flexibility rates established in specific legislation. Marketing standards and marketing rules for catches of fish caught in excess of fixed fishing opportunities shall may be established in accordance with Article 27 39 of Regulation (EU) No …/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of … on the common organisation of the markets in fishery and aquaculture products (28) (29).

4. Member States shall ensure that Union fishing vessels flying their flag are equipped to ensure full documentation of all fishing and processing activities for the purpose of monitoring compliance with the obligation to land all catches. In doing so, Member States shall respect the principle of efficiency and proportionality.

5. Paragraph 1 shall be without prejudice to international obligations.

6. The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 55 to specify laying down the measures set out in paragraph 1 for the purpose of complying with the Union's international obligations. [Am. 119]

Article 16

Fishing opportunities

1. When fixing and allocating fishing opportunities, the Council shall act in accordance with Articles 2, 9, 10 and 11, applying a long-term perspective and following the best available scientific advice. Fishing opportunities allocated to shall be distributed among Member States shall in such a way as to ensure each Member State , for each of them, relative stability of fishing activities for each fish stock or fishery. The interests of each Member State shall be taken into account when new fishing opportunities are allocated.

The Council shall establish the fishing opportunities available to third countries in Union waters and allocate those opportunities to these third countries.

The allocation of fishing opportunities to a Member State or a third country shall be conditional upon its compliance with the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy.

1a. When deciding on quota allocations each year, the Council shall take full account of regions where local communities are especially dependent on fisheries and related activities as decided by the Council in its Resolution of 3 November 1976, on certain external aspects of the creation of a 200-mile fishing zone in the Community with effect from 1 January 1977, and in particular Annex VII thereto.

2. By-catch fishing opportunities may be reserved under the total fishing opportunities.

3. Fishing opportunities shall comply with quantifiable catch targets, time frames and margins established in multiannual plans in accordance with Article 9(2) and 11(b), (c) and (h). If no corresponding multiannual plan has been adopted for a commercially used fish stock, the Council shall ensure that, by 2015, total allowable catches (TACs) are set at levels that should allow fish stocks to recover, by 2020 at the latest, above levels that are capable of producing the maximum sustainable yield and that should allow all recovered stocks to be maintained at these levels.

3a. Delegations from the European Parliament and from the Advisory Councils shall be present when the Council adopts decisions on establishing fishing opportunities.

3b. Where, for given stocks, it is not possible, owing to a lack of data, to determine exploitation rates that are consistent with the maximum sustainable yield:

(i) the precautionary approach shall be applied to fisheries management;

(ii) proxy standards shall be adopted on the basis of the methodologies set out in points 3.1 and 3.2 of Part B of the Annex to Commission Decision 2010/477/EU of 1 September 2010 on criteria and methodological standards on good environmental status of marine waters (30) , and fishing mortality shall be further reduced in accordance with the precautionary principle, or kept stable in cases where there are indications that the stock status is satisfactory;

(iii) the Commission and the Member States shall evaluate the obstacles to research and to the acquisition of knowledge and shall take steps to enable additional stock and ecosystem data to be supplied without delay.

3c. Each Member State shall decide on the method to be used for allocating the fishing opportunities assigned to it, to vessels flying its flag, in accordance with Union law. It shall inform the Commission of that allocation method.

4. Member States may, after notifying the Commission, exchange all or part of the fishing opportunities allocated to them.

4a. Where, as a result of an assessment pursuant to Article 19 or Article 23, the Commission concludes that a Member State has failed to adopt appropriate measures in accordance with Articles 17 — 24, this shall result in deductions in the following year or years from fishing opportunities allocated by the Union to that Member State and in the interruption or suspension of payments to that Member State or in the application of a financial correction to Union financial assistance under the Common Fisheries Policy pursuant to Article 50. Such measures shall be proportionate to the nature, extent, duration and repetition of the non compliance.

4b. The Commission shall present to the European Parliament and to the Council an annual report assessing whether current fishing opportunities are proving effective in restoring and maintaining populations of harvested species at levels above those which can produce the target laid down in Article 2(2). [Ams 120, 264, 293 and 301]

Article 16a

Criteria for Member States' allocation of fishing opportunities

When allocating the fishing opportunities available to them as referred to in Article 16, Member States shall use transparent and objective environmental and social criteria, such as the impact of the fishery on the environment, the history of compliance and the contribution to the local economy. Other criteria such as historic catch levels may also be used. Within the fishing opportunities assigned to them, Member States shall provide incentives to fishing vessels deploying selective fishing gear or using fishing techniques with reduced environmental impact, such as reduced energy consumption or habitat damage. [Am. 227]

TITLE III

REGIONALISATION

CHAPTER I

MULTIANNUAL PLANS

Article 17

Conservation measures adopted in accordance with multiannual plans

1. In a multiannual plan established pursuant to Articles 9, 10 and 11 Member States may sharing the fishery concerned shall be authorised , following the procedures outlined in this Article, to adopt measures, in accordance with that multiannual plan, which specify the conservation measures applicable to vessels flying their flagin relation to stocks in Union waters for which they have been allocated fishing opportunities.

2. Member States shall ensure that conservation measures adopted pursuant to paragraph 1:

(a) are compatible with the objectives set out in Articles 2 and 3 , and with the principles of good governance set out in Article 4 ;

(b) are compatible with the scope and objectives of the multiannual plan;

(c) meet the objectives and quantifiable targets set out in a multiannual plan effectively within the timetable specified ; and

(d) are no less stringent than those existing in Union legislation.

2a. Member States shall cooperate with one another to ensure that compatible measures are adopted that will meet the objectives set out in multiannual plans and shall coordinate the implementation of those measures with one another. To this end, Member States shall, where practical and appropriate, use existing regional institutional cooperation structures and mechanisms, including those under the Regional Sea Conventions that cover the relevant area or fishery.

Coordination efforts by Member States sharing a fishery shall be eligible for funding under the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (EMFF), in accordance with Regulation (EU) No …/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of … on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (31) (32).

2b. Member States shall consult the relevant Advisory Councils as well as ICES and/or STECF by sending them a draft of the measures to be adopted, accompanied by an explanatory memorandum. At the same time, such drafts shall be notified to the Commission and to those other Member States sharing the fishery. Member States shall make every effort to involve in this consultation, at an early stage and in an open and transparent manner, other relevant stakeholders of the fishery concerned, in order to identify the views and proposals of all the relevant parties during the preparation of the measures envisaged.

Member States shall make available to the public summaries of the draft conservation measures which they propose to enact.

2c. Member States shall duly take into account the opinions submitted by the relevant Advisory Councils, by ICES and/or by STECF and, where the final measures adopted diverge from these opinions, shall state detailed reasons why they diverge.

2d. Where Member States wish to amend the adopted measures, paragraphs 2 — 2c shall also apply.

2e. The Commission shall adopt guidelines setting out the details of the procedure to be followed for the application of paragraphs 2a, 2b and 2c, in order to ensure that the adopted measures are coherent, coordinated at regional level and comply with the established multiannual plans. These guidelines may also identify or establish administrative frameworks, such as Regional Fisheries Working Groups, in order to organise, on a practical level, the cooperation between the Member States, notably with a view to promoting and facilitating the adoption of the measures by each of the Member States.

2f. Member States sharing a fishery may agree and cooperate to implement joint measures under the multiannual plans adopted prior to 2014, in accordance with the procedure set out in Article 25.

2 g. For fisheries conducted entirely within waters under the sovereignty and jurisdiction of a single Member State, the Member State concerned shall create one or more co-management committees including all relevant stakeholders. Such committees shall be consulted concerning the measures to be adopted. If the Member State intends to deviate in any way from the advice it receives from such committees it shall publish an assessment outlining in detail its reasons for deviating from the advice. [Am. 121]

Article 18

Notification of Member State conservation measures

Member States adopting conservation measures pursuant to Article 17(1) shall publish them and notify the Commission, other interested Member States and relevant Advisory Councils of such measures thereof . [Am. 122]

Article 19

Assessment

1. The Commission may at any time assess the compatibility and effectiveness of conservation measures adopted by Member States pursuant to Article 17(1) and shall, in any event, assess, and report on, those issues not less than once every three years or as may be required by the relevant multiannual plan . The assessment shall be based on the best available scientific advice .

In accordance with Directive 2007/2/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 March 2007 establishing an Infrastructure for Spatial Information in the European Community (Inspire) (33) and in order to assist the Commission in its implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy, Member States shall provide the Commission with access and user rights in respect of the material prepared, and the data used, in connection with the formulation and enactment of national conservation measures, adopted pursuant to Article 17.

With regard to access to environmental information, Directive 2003/4/EC (34) and Regulations (EC) No 1049/2001 (35) and (EC) No 1367/2006 (36) shall apply. [Am. 123]

1a. The Commission shall publish any assessments carried out according to this Article, and shall make this information publicly available by publishing it on appropriate websites or by providing a direct hyperlink to it. With regard to access to environmental information, Regulations (EC) No 1049/2001 and (EC) No 1367/2006 shall apply. [Am. 124]

Article 20

Default conservation measures adopted in the framework of multiannual plans

1. The Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 55 to specify the conservation measures for fisheries covered by a multiannual plan, if the Member States authorised to take measures in accordance with Article 17 do not notify such measures to the Commission within three the period provided for in the multiannual plan or, failing that, within six months after the date of entry into force of the multiannual plan.

2. Where the Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 55 to specify conservation measures for fisheries covered by a multiannual plan, if is of the opinion that

(a) Member State measures are deemed not to be compatible with the objectives of a multiannual plan on the basis of an assessment carried out pursuant to Article 19 or

(b) Member State measures are deemed do not to meet the objectives and quantifiable targets set out in multiannual plans effectively, on the basis of an assessment carried out pursuant to Article 19, or

(c) safeguards established in accordance with Article 11(i) are triggered,

it shall notify the Member State concerned, stating its reasons .

2a. In the event of the Commission delivering an opinion pursuant to paragraph 2, the Member State concerned shall have three months in which to modify its measures in order to make them compatible with the objectives of the multiannual plan and in which to meet those objectives.

2b. In the event of a Member State failing to modify its measures pursuant to paragraph 2a, the Commission shall be empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 55 establishing conservation measures for the fisheries covered by the multiannual plan.

3. The conservation measures adopted by the Commission shall aim at ensuring that the objectives and targets set out in the multiannual plan are met. Upon the adoption of the delegated act by the Commission, the Member State measures shall cease to be effective.

3a. Prior to adopting the delegated acts referred to in this Article, the Commission shall consult the relevant Advisory Councils as well as ICES and/or STECF on a draft of the measures to be adopted, accompanied by an explanatory memorandum. [Am. 125]

CHAPTER II

TECHNICAL MEASURES

Article 21

Technical measures

1. In a technical measures framework established pursuant to Article 14 Member States may shall be authorised empowered to adopt measures, in accordance with that framework, which specify the technical measures applicable to vessels flying their flag in relation to stocks in their Union waters for which they