Commission Regulation (EC) No 2495/2001 of 19 December 2001 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2406/96 laying down common marketing standards for certain fishery products
Date: 2001-12-19
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: European standard, fishery product, marketing standard, sea fish

20.12.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

L 337/23

COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2495/2001

of 19 December 2001

amending Council Regulation (EC) No 2406/96 laying down common marketing standards for
certain fishery products

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European
Community,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 104/2000 of 17
December 1999 on the common organisation of the markets
in fishery and aquaculture products (1), and in particular Article
2(3) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

(3)

Council Regulation (EC) No 2406/96 (2), as last amended
by Regulation (EC) No 2578/2000 (3),
introduced in
particular a new scale of size categories for herring of
the species Clupea harengus. In the case of Baltic herring
this scale establishes a specific size for products taken
and landed north of 59° 30(cid:1), and a single specific size
for products taken and landed south of 59° 30(cid:1).

The specific size for Baltic herring taken and landed
north of 59° 30(cid:1) no longer meets the real requirements
of the market in this area and a larger number of size
categories should be defined.

The average weight and length of herring in the Main
Basin of the Baltic Sea have in fact fallen considerably
over the past 15 years. As a result, the northern type of
herring (small size but advanced age) constitutes the
bulk of the stock and of catches in the Main Basin. The
International Baltic Sea Fishery Commission (IBSFC) has
not fixed a minimum size for Baltic herring.

(4)

(5)

(6)

Provision should therefore be made for the marketing of
this herring, by fixing a larger number of size categories.

The sizes currently in force in the northern part of the
Baltic Sea should therefore be amended. This amend-
ment will constitute a change to the common marketing
standards provided for in Article 2(3) of Regulation (EC)
No 104/2000.

The measures provided for in this Regulation are in
accordance with the opinion of
the Management
Committee for Fishery Products,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

In Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 2406/96, the size categories
applicable to Baltic herring (Clupea harengus) taken and landed
north of 59° 30(cid:1) are hereby amended in accordance with the
Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

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

It shall apply from 1 January 2002.

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

Done at Brussels, 19 December 2001.

For the Commission

Franz FISCHLER

Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 17, 21.1.2000, p. 22.
(2) OJ L 334, 23.12.1996, p. 1.
(3) OJ L 298, 25.11.2000, p. 1.

L 337/24

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

20.12.2001

ANNEX

Scale of weights

Minimum sizes to be observed in the conditions laid down
in the Regulations referred to in Article 7

Species

Atlantic herring
(Clupea harengus)

Baltic herring
and landed,
59° 30(cid:1)

caught
south of

Baltic herring
caught
and landed, north of
59° 30(cid:1)

Size

1

2

3

4(a)

4(b)

Kg/fish

0,250 and over

0,125 to 0,250

0,085 to 0,125

0,050 to 0,085

Number of
fish/kg

4 or less

5 to 8

9 to 11

12 to 20

0,036 to 0,085

12 to 27

4(c)

0,057 to 0,085

5

6

0,031 to 0,057

0,023 to 0,031

12 to 17

18 to 32

33 to 44

Region

Geographical area

Minimum size

ICES Vb (EC zone)

(a)

(b)

1

2

3

20 cm

20 cm

18 cm

20 cm