Council Regulation (EC) No 2092/2000 of 28 September 2000 prohibiting imports of Atlantic blue-fin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) originating in Belize, Honduras and Equatorial Guinea
Date: 2000-09-28
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Atlantic Ocean, Belize, Equatorial Guinea, Honduras, import restriction, sea fish

4.10.2000

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 249/1

I

(Acts whose publication is obligatory)

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 2092/2000

of 28 September 2000

prohibiting imports of Atlantic blue-fin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) originating in Belize, Honduras and
Equatorial Guinea

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community, and in particular Article 133 thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

Fishery resources, which are an exhaustible natural
resource, must be protected in the interests of biological
balances and global food security.

(ICCAT),

to which the

The International Commission for the Conservation of
Atlantic Tuna
European
Community is a Contracting Party, adopted, in 1994, an
Action Plan to ensure the effectiveness of the conserva-
tion program for Atlantic blue-fin Tuna as well as the
1996 Recommendation regarding compliance in the
blue-fin Tuna and north Atlantic swordfish fisheries, to
ensure the effective conservation of Atlantic blue-fin
tuna and the enforcement thereof.

The stock concerned cannot be managed effectively by
the ICCAT contracting parties, whose fishermen are
obliged to reduce their catches of Atlantic blue-fin tuna,
unless all non-contracting parties cooperate with ICCAT
and comply with its conservation and management
measures.

ICCAT has identified Belize, Honduras and Equatorial
Guinea as countries whose vessels fish Atlantic blue-fin
tuna in a manner prejudicial to the organisation's meas-
ures to conserve the species, substantiating its findings
with data concerning catches, trade and the observation
of vessels.

ICCAT's attempts to encourage the three countries to
comply with measures for the conservation and manage-
ment of Atlantic blue-fin tuna have been to no avail.

ICCAT has instructed the contracting parties to take
appropriate measures to continue to prohibit imports
from Belize and Honduras and to introduce an import
prohibition from Equatorial Guinea of Atlantic blue-fin
tuna products in any form; these measures will be lifted
as soon as it is established that the countries in question
have brought
fishing practices into line with
ICCAT's measures; these measures must therefore be

their

implemented by the Community, having the sole
competence in this matter.

ICCAT has recognised the improved cooperation in the
conservation of Atlantic blue-fin tuna with Panama;
ICCAT has at its annual meeting in 1999 recommended
that
the import prohibition applied by contracting
parties against Panama for Atlantic blue-fin tuna prod-
ucts in any form, should be lifted.

It is necessary to repeal Regulation (EC) No 1435/98 (1)
applying import prohibitions against Belize, Honduras
and Panama regarding blue-fin tuna and its products.

These measures are compatible with the Community's
obligations under other international agreements,

(7)

(8)

(9)

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

(Thunnus

0302 39 11,

0302 39 91,

The release for free circulation in the Community of
1.
thynnus) of CN codes
Atlantic blue-fin tuna
ex 0301 99 90,
0303 49 21,
0303 49 23, 0303 49 29, ex 0303 49 90, ex 0304 10 38,
ex 0304 90 97,
ex 0304 20 45,
ex 0304 10 98,
ex 0305 49 80,
ex 0305 30 90,
ex 0305 20 00,
ex 0305 59 90,
ex 1604 14 11,
ex 0305 69 90,
ex 1604 14 16, ex 1604 14 18 and ex 1604 20 70 origin-
ating in Belize, Honduras and Equatorial Guinea is hereby
prohibited.

The landing of products mentioned in paragraph 1 for

2.
the purposes of Community transit is hereby prohibited.

(1) OJ L 191, 7.7.1998, p. 13.

L 249/2

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

4.10.2000

Article 2

Article 3

This Regulation shall not apply to quantities of the products
referred to in Article 1(1), originating in Equatorial Guinea,
which can be shown to the satisfaction of the competent
national authorities to have been under way to Community
territory on the date of its entry into force and which are
released for free circulation no later than 14 days after that
date.

Regulation (EC) No 1435/98 is hereby repealed.

Article 4

This Regulation shall enter into force on the seventh day
following its publication in the Official Journal of the European
Communities.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 28 September 2000.

For the Council

The President

D. VAILLANT