Commission Regulation (EC) No 446/2008 of 22 May 2008 adapting certain bluefin tuna quotas in 2008 pursuant to Article 21(4) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93 establishing a control system applicable to the Common Fisheries Policy

23.5.2008 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 134/11
COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 446/2008
of 22 May 2008
adapting certain bluefin tuna quotas in 2008 pursuant to Article 21(4) of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93 establishing a control system applicable to the Common Fisheries Policy
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 21(4) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Council Regulation (EC) No 41/2007 (2), fixed the amount of bluefin tuna which could be fished in 2007 in the Atlantic Ocean, east of longitude 45° W, and the Mediterranean sea by Community fishing vessels.
(2) France and Italy overfished their bluefin tuna quotas in 2007.
(3) On the basis of the exhaustion of the Community share, fishing for bluefin tuna by vessels flying the flag of or registered in Cyprus, Greece, Spain, Malta or Portugal was prohibited by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1073/2007 (3).
(4) Regulation (EC) No 1073/2007 entered into force before Cyprus, Greece, Spain, Malta and Portugal had exhausted their quotas. The quotas which could not be used by those Member States in 2007 amounted to 438,6 tonnes.
(5) Council Regulation (EC) No 40/2008 (4), fixes the amount of bluefin tuna which may be fished in 2008 in the areas concerned.
(6) It is appropriate to make deductions from the 2008 bluefin tuna quotas of France and Italy and to allocate the amounts deducted, as appropriate, to the Member States whose fishing activities were halted before their quotas were exhausted.
(7) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture,