COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT pursuant to Article 294(6) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union concerning the position of the Council on the adoption of a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a multiannual management plan for bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, amending Regulations (EC) N° 1936/2001, (EU) 2017/2107, and (EU) 2019/833 and repealing Regulation (EU) 2016/1627
Date: 2023-06-29
Institutions: Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, European Commission
Subjects: Atlantic Ocean, Mediterranean Sea, catch by species, catch quota, conservation of fish stocks, fishing area, fishing controls, sea fishing

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   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 29.6.2023  COM(2023) 358 final 2019/0272 (COD)  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT  pursuant to Article 294(6) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union  concerning the position of the Council on the adoption of a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a multiannual management plan for bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, amending Regulations (EC) N° 1936/2001, (EU) 2017/2107, and (EU) 2019/833 and repealing Regulation (EU) 2016/1627  
 
 
2019/0272 (COD) 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION 
TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 

pursuant to Article 294(6) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union 

concerning the 

position of the Council on the adoption of a Regulation of the European Parliament and 
of the Council establishing a multiannual management plan for bluefin tuna in the 
eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean, amending Regulations (EC) N° 1936/2001, (EU) 
2017/2107, and (EU) 2019/833 and repealing Regulation (EU) 2016/1627 

1. 

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 

 

 

 

 

BACKGROUND 

Date of transmission of the proposal to the European Parliament and to the Council 
(document COM(2019) 619 final - 2019/0272 (COD)): 28 November 2019  

Date of the position of the European Parliament, first reading: 28 April 2021 

Date of transmission of the amended proposal: N/A 

Date of the political agreement and of adoption of the position of the Council in first 
reading: 26 June 2023  

Date of the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee: 07 May 2020 

Date of the opinion of the Committee of the Regions : N/A 

2. 

OBJECTIVE OF THE PROPOSAL FROM THE COMMISSION 

The  Commission’s  proposal  aims  at  implementing  in  EU  law  Recommendation  18-02 
establishing a multiannual management plan for bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and the 
Mediterranean Sea adopted in 2018 by the International Commission for the Conservation of 
Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). The objective is to allow the Union to comply with its international 
obligations and to provide operators with legal certainty regarding rules and obligations. 

3. 

COMMENTS ON THE COUNCIL’S POSITION 

The  Council’s  position  as  adopted  at  first  reading  reflects  the  political  agreement  reached 
between the European Parliament and the Council on 24 April 2023. 

The  Commission  considers  that  the  position  of  the  Council  ensures  the  effective 
implementation  of  ICCAT  Recommendation  18-02.  The  Council’s  position  at  first  reading 
also includes two provisions related to bluefin tuna taken from the Commission proposal for a 
regulation  laying  down  management,  conservation  and  control  measures  applicable  in  the 
Convention  area  of  the  International  Commission  for  the  Conservation  of  Atlantic  Tunas 
(ICCAT)1. The Commission can support that inclusion. 

The Commission supports the position of the Council because it is in line with the objectives 
of  the  Commission  proposal  and  with  the  basic  principles  of  sustainable  fisheries  under  the 

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COM(2022)171. 

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common fisheries policy. Furthermore, the Commission welcomes the position of the Council 
on the following two concrete elements: 

Allocation of quotas for small-scale vessels 

Theese  allocations  of  quotas  concern  the  obligation  for  Member  States  to  take  into 
consideration small-scale vessels when allocating internally bluefin tuna quotas.  

The  position  of  the  Council  is  largely  based  on  Article  17  of  the  Common  Fisheries  Policy 
Regulation2 and the proposal of the Commission. 

Obligation to launch an investigation  

The Council’s position retains in Articles 50 and 51 an obligation for a flag Member State to 
launch an investigation in case the number of bluefin tuna caged is different from the reported 
number  caught  by  the  master  of  the  purse  seiner  or  trap  operator  who  has  caught  the  fish. 
Furthermore, the different responsibilities of the flag Member State and the farming Member 
State, as well as the duty of cooperation between the two when an investigation is launched, is 
in  line  with  the  most  recent  ICCAT  recommendation  adopted  on  bluefin  tuna  (ICCAT 
Recommendation 22-08).   

4. 

CONCLUSION 

The Commission supports the results of the inter-institutional negotiations and can therefore 
accept the Council's position at first reading. 

DECLARATIONS FROM THE COMMISSION 

5. 

N/A 

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Regulation  (EU)  N°1380/2013  of  the  European  Parliament  and  of  the  Council  of  11 December 
2013  on  the  Common  Fisheries  Policy,  amending  Council  Regulations  (EC) N°1954/2003  and 
(EC) N°1224/2009 and repealing Council Regulations (EC)  N° 2371/2002 and (EC) N°639/2004 
and Council Decision 2004/585/EC 

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