Council Regulation (EU) 2021/1750 of 28 September 2021 amending Regulation (EU) 2019/440 on the allocation of fishing opportunities under the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco and the Implementation Protocol thereto
Date: 2021-09-28
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: Morocco, United Kingdom, agreement (EU), catch quota, fishing agreement, fishing area, fishing rights, protocol to an agreement, sea fishing, sustainable fisheries, withdrawal from the EU




L_2021349EN.01000101.xml










4.10.2021   


EN


Official Journal of the European Union


L 349/1








            COUNCIL REGULATION (EU) 2021/1750
of 28 September 2021
         
amending Regulation (EU) 2019/440 on the allocation of fishing opportunities under the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco and the Implementation Protocol thereto


THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 43(3) thereof,


Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission,

Whereas:







(1)


On 29 November 2018 the Council adopted Regulation (EU) 2019/440 (1) on the allocation of fishing opportunities under the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco (‘the Fisheries Agreement’).












(2)


On 4 March 2019 the Council adopted Decision (EU) 2019/441 (2) on the conclusion of the Fisheries Agreement and the Implementation Protocol thereto.












(3)


Regulation (EU) 2019/440 allocates fishing opportunities in, inter alia, category 6 (industrial fishing for pelagic species) to Member States, including the United Kingdom.












(4)


Pursuant to the Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community (3) (‘the Withdrawal Agreement’), the United Kingdom is no longer a Member State of the Union as of 1 February 2020. The transition period provided for in the Withdrawal Agreement ended on 31 December 2020. Therefore, the United Kingdom is no longer entitled to use those fishing opportunities beyond that date and they should be reallocated to the Member States as from 1 January 2021.












(5)


The reallocation of fishing opportunities should be transparent and proportional to the original quota allocation.












(6)


Regulation (EU) 2019/440 should therefore be amended accordingly.












(7)


Due to its impact on fishing activities in 2021, this Regulation should apply from 1 January 2021. Such retroactive application does not affect the principles of legal certainty and the protection of legitimate expectations, as the fishing opportunities concerned have not been used by the United Kingdom and are increased for the Member States concerned.












(8)


Taking into account the urgency related to the retroactive application of this Regulation, this Regulation should enter into force on the date of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union,





HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:



Article 1
In Article 1 of Regulation (EU) 2019/440, paragraph 1 is replaced by the following:


‘1.   The fishing opportunities established pursuant to the Implementation Protocol to the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco (“the Fisheries Agreement”) shall be allocated among the Member States as follows:








Fishing category


Type of vessel


Member State


Licences or quota










1.


Small-scale fishing in the north, pelagic species






Seiners < 150 gross tonnage (GT)


Spain


22 










2.


Small-scale fishing in the north






Bottom longliners < 40 GT


Spain


25 




Portugal


7 




Bottom longliners ≥ 40 GT < 150 GT


Portugal


3 










3.


Small-scale fishing in the south






Pole-lines < 150 GT per vessel
Total ≤ 800 GT


Spain


10 










4.


Demersal fishing






Bottom longliners ≤ 150 GT


Spain


7 




Portugal


4 




Trawlers ≤ 750 GT
Total ≤ 3 000  GT


Spain


5 




Italy


0 










5.


Tuna fishing






Pole-and-line vessels


Spain


23 




France


4 










6.


Industrial fishing for pelagic species






85 000  tonnes (t) in 2019
90 000  t in 2020
100 000  t each year in 2021 and 2022
Distribution of vessels authorised to fish:






 


10 vessels ≥ 3 000  GT and < 7 765  GT










 


4 vessels ≥ 150 GT and < 3 000  GT










 


4 vessels < 150 GT






2019: 85 000  t


 




Germany


6 871,2  t




Lithuania


21 986,3  t




Latvia


12 367,5  t




Netherlands


26 102,4  t




Ireland


3 099,3  t




Poland


4 807,8  t




United Kingdom


4 807,8  t




Spain


496,2  t




Portugal


1 652,2  t




France


2 809,3  t




 


2020: 90 000  t


 




Germany


7 275,4  t




Lithuania


23 279,6  t




Latvia


13 095,0  t




Netherlands


27 637,9  t




Ireland


3 281,6  t




Poland


5 090,6  t




United Kingdom


5 090,6  t




Spain


525,4  t




Portugal


1 749,4  t




France


2 974,5  t




 


2021 and 2022: 100 000  t each year


 




Germany


8 568,4  t




Lithuania


27 417,0  t




Latvia


15 422,3  t




Netherlands


32 549,8  t




Ireland


3 864,9  t




Poland


5 995,4  t




Spain


618,8  t




Portugal


2 060,3  t




France


3 503,1  t’








Article 2
This Regulation shall enter into force on the date of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
This Regulation shall apply from 1 January 2021.




This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 28 September 2021.


For the Council


The President

S. KUSTEC
            





(1)  Council Regulation (EU) 2019/440 of 29 November 2018 on the allocation of fishing opportunities under the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco and the Implementation Protocol thereto (OJ L 77, 20.3.2019, p. 1).

(2)  Council Decision (EU) 2019/441 of 4 March 2019 on the conclusion of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union and the Kingdom of Morocco, the Implementation Protocol thereto and the Exchange of Letters accompanying the Agreement (OJ L 77, 20.3.2019, p. 4).

(3)  
            OJ L 29, 31.1.2020, p. 7.