2005/429/EC: Commission Decision of 2 June 2005 establishing a specific monitoring programme related to the recovery of cod stocks (notified under document number C(2005) 1538)

11.6.2005 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 148/36
COMMISSION DECISION
of 2 June 2005
establishing a specific monitoring programme related to the recovery of cod stocks
(notified under document number C(2005) 1538)
(only the Danish, German, English, French, Dutch and Swedish texts are authentic)
(2005/429/EC)
THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93 of 12 October 1993 establishing a control system applicable to the common fisheries policy (1), and in particular Article 34c(1) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 423/2004 (2) establishes measures for the recovery of cod stocks in the Kattegatt, the North Sea, the Skagerrak and the Eastern Channel, the West of Scotland and the Irish Sea.
(2) Annex IVa to Council Regulation (EC) No 27/2005, of 22 December 2004, fixing for 2005 the fishing opportunities and associated conditions for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks, applicable in Community waters and, for Community vessels, in waters where catch limitations are required (3), lays down interim fishing effort limitations and additional conditions for monitoring, inspection and surveillance in the context of certain stocks recovery measures applicable to all fisheries likely to catch cod in the Kattegatt, the North Sea, the Skagerrak and the Eastern Channel, the West of Scotland and the Irish Sea.
(3) To ensure the success of those measures, it is necessary to establish a specific monitoring programme involving Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden and the United Kingdom, with the objective of guaranteeing an appropriate level of implementation of the conservation and control measures applicable to fishing activities in relation to the recovery of cod stocks.
(4) That specific monitoring programme should be defined for a period of two years and may be revised in the light of the adoption of new conservation measures or at the request of a Member State. The results obtained by the application of the specific monitoring programme should be periodically evaluated in cooperation with the Member States concerned. Where appropriate, that programme may be amended.
(5) In order to harmonise the inspection and surveillance of the relevant fisheries at Community level, it is appropriate to draw up common rules for the inspection and surveillance activities to be carried out by the competent authorities of the Member States concerned, and that Member States adopt national control programmes in order to match such common rules. To that end, benchmarks for the intensity of inspection and surveillance activities should be fixed, as well as inspection priorities and inspection procedures.
(6) Exchanges of national inspectors between the Member States concerned should be encouraged so as to enhance uniformity of inspection and surveillance practices and help develop the coordination of the control activities between the competent authorities of those Member States.
(7) To ensure the follow-up of infringements in accordance with Article 25 of Council Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002 of 20 December 2002 on the conservation and sustainable exploitation of fisheries resources under the Common Fisheries Policy (4), a framework should be set up under which all the authorities concerned may request mutual assistance and exchange relevant information in accordance with Articles 34a and 34b of Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93 and Article 28 of Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002.
(8) The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture,