Council Regulation (EC) No 858/94 of 12 April 1994 introducing a system for the statistical monitoring of trade in bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) within the Community

COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 858/94 of 12 April 1994 introducing a system for the statistical monitoring of trade in bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) within the Community
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION
,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 43 thereof,
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1),
Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (2),
Whereas there should be an appropriate policy for the management and conservation of tuna in the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas; whereas the International Convention for the conservation of atlantic tunas, hereinafter referred to as the 'Iccat  Convention', which came into force on 21 March 1969, is the appropriate international forum for development of that policy;
Whereas, by Council Decision 86/238/EEC of 9 June 1986 (3), the Community approved its accession to the Iccat Convention, as amended by the Protocol annexed to the Final Act of the Conference of Plenipotentaries of the States Parties to the Convention  signed at Paris on 10 July 1984; whereas the Community participates in the work of the Iccat only as an observer, pending completion of ratification procedures;
Whereas, in the context of measures to regulate stocks of bluefin tuna, at its eighth extraordinary meeting, held in Madrid from 8 to 13 November 1992, the Iccat adopted a resolution designed to make compulsory the presentation of a statistical document  when bluefin tuna are imported into the territory of a Contracting Party; whereas that resolution states that the document is to be drawn up by the country whose flag the vessel making the catch is flying;
Whereas those Community Member States which are currently parties to the Iccat Convention are required to respect and apply Iccat resolutions; whereas, for the sound operation of the internal market and in order to ensure the uniform application  throughout the Community of this resolution, appropriate rules must be adopted at Community level;
Whereas those Community rules should provide for the recording of certain details on catches and for the issuing of a statistical document containing certain information; whereas that document should be completed by the appropriate operators and be  presented and checked when bluefin tuna is entered for free circulation in the customs territory of the Community;
Whereas Council Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93 of 12 October 1993 establishing a control system applicable to the common fisheries policy (4), and, in particular, Article 31 thereof, provides for sanctions to be imposed when Community measures adopted  under the common fisheries policy are infringed;
Whereas the statistical information obtained under this system must be sent to the Commission so that it can forward the information to the Iccat Commission,