Article 1 Subject matter
This Regulation lays down general rules for the implementation by the Union of a multiannual recovery plan for swordfish ( Xiphias gladius ) in the Mediterranean Sea (‘Mediterranean swordfish’) adopted by ICCAT, starting from 2017 and continuing until 2031.
Article 2 Scope
This Regulation applies to: (a) Union fishing vessels, and Union vessels engaged in recreational fisheries, which: (i) catch Mediterranean swordfish; or (ii) tranship or carry on board, including outside the ICCAT Convention area, Mediterranean swordfish; (b) third country fishing vessels, and third country vessels engaged in recreational fisheries, which operate in Union waters and which catch Mediterranean swordfish; (c) third country vessels which are inspected in Member States ports and which carry on board Mediterranean swordfish or fishery products originating from Mediterranean swordfish that have not been previously landed or transhipped at ports.
Article 3 Objective
By way of derogation from Article 2(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, the objective of this Regulation is to achieve a biomass of Mediterranean swordfish corresponding to MSY by 2031, with at least a 60 % probability of achieving that objective.
Article 4 Relationship to other Union law
This Regulation applies in addition to the following Regulations or, where those Regulations so provide, by way of derogation therefrom: (a) Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009; (b) Regulation (EU) 2017/2403 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 14 ) ; (c) Regulation (EU) 2017/2107.
Article 5 Definitions
For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply: (1) ‘fishing vessel’ means any vessel equipped for commercial exploitation of marine biological resources; (2) ‘Union fishing vessel’ means a fishing vessel flying the flag of a Member State and registered in the Union; (3) ‘ICCAT Convention area’ means all waters of the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas; (4) ‘Mediterranean Sea’ means maritime waters of the Mediterranean to the East of line 5°36′ West; (5) ‘CPCs’ means Contracting Parties to the ICCAT Convention and Cooperating non-Contracting Parties, Entities or Fishing Entities; (6) ‘fishing authorisation’ means an authorisation issued in respect of a Union fishing vessel entitling it to carry out specific fishing activities during a specified period, in a given area or for a given fishery under specific conditions; (7) ‘fishing opportunity’ means a quantified legal entitlement to fish, expressed in terms of catches or fishing effort; (8) ‘stock’ means a marine biological resource that occurs in a given management area; (9) ‘fishery products’ means aquatic organisms resulting from any fishing activity or products derived therefrom; (10) ‘discards’ means catches that are returned to the sea; (11) ‘recreational fisheries’ means non-commercial fishing activities exploiting marine biological resources for recreation, tourism or sport; (12) ‘vessel monitoring system data’ means data on the fishing vessel identification, geographical position, date, time, course and speed transmitted by satellite-tracking devices installed on board fishing vessels to the fisheries monitoring centre of the flag Member State; (13) ‘landing’ means the initial unloading of any quantity of fisheries products from on board a fishing vessel to land; (14) ‘transhipment’ means the unloading of all or any fisheries products on board a vessel to another vessel; (15) ‘chartering’ means an arrangement by which a fishing vessel flying the flag of a Member State is contracted for a defined period by an operator in either another Member State or a third country without a change of flag; (16) ‘longlines’ means a fishing gear which comprises a main line carrying numerous hooks on branch lines (snoods) of variable length and spacing depending on the target species; (17) ‘hook’ means a bent, sharpened piece of steel wire; (18) ‘rod and line’ means a fishing-line placed in a rod used by anglers and wound on a turning mechanism (reel) used to wind the line.
Article 6 Fishing effort
1. Each Member State shall take the necessary measures to ensure that the fishing effort of fishing vessels flying its flag is commensurate with the fishing opportunities for Mediterranean swordfish available to that Member State. 2. The carrying-over of any unused quota for Mediterranean swordfish shall be prohibited.
Article 7 Allocation of fishing opportunities
1. In accordance with Article 17 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, when allocating the fishing opportunities available to them, Member States shall use transparent and objective criteria, including those of an environmental, social and economic nature, and shall also endeavour to distribute national quotas fairly among the various fleet segments, giving consideration to traditional and artisanal fishing, and to provide incentives to Union fishing vessels deploying selective fishing gear or using fishing techniques with reduced environmental impact. 2. Each Member State shall make provision for by-catch of swordfish within its Mediterranean swordfish quota and shall inform the Commission thereof when transmitting its annual fishing plan in accordance with Article 9. Such provision shall ensure that all dead Mediterranean swordfish are deducted from the quota. 3. Member States shall endeavour to allocate any increase in fishing opportunities resulting from the successful implementation of this Regulation to fishing vessels to which no quota for Mediterranean swordfish has previously been allocated and that fulfil the criteria for the allocation of fishing opportunities set out in Article 17 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013.
Article 8 Capacity limitations
1. A capacity limitation by fishing gear type for fishing vessels shall apply for the duration of the recovery plan set out in this Regulation. Member States shall limit by fishing gear type the number of fishing vessels flying their flag and authorised to catch Mediterranean swordfish to the average yearly number of vessels flying their flag that fished for, retained on board, transhipped, transported or landed Mediterranean swordfish during the period 2013-2016. 2. Notwithstanding paragraph 1, Member States may decide to use the number of vessels flying their flag that fished for, retained on board, transhipped, transported or landed Mediterranean swordfish in 2016 for the purpose of calculating the capacity limitation, if that number is lower than the average yearly number of vessels during the period 2013–2016. That capacity limitation shall be applied by gear type for fishing vessels. 3. Member States may apply a tolerance of 5 % to the capacity limitation referred to in paragraph 1 for the years 2018 and 2019. 4. Member States shall inform the Commission by 1 March of each year of the measures taken to limit the number of fishing vessels flying their flag and authorised to catch Mediterranean swordfish. That information shall be included in the transmission of the annual fishing plans in accordance with Article 9.
Article 9 Annual fishing plans
1. Member States shall submit their annual fishing plans to the Commission by 1 March of each year. Such annual fishing plans shall be submitted in the format set out in the ICCAT Guidelines for submitting data and information, and shall include detailed information regarding the quota for Mediterranean swordfish allocated by fishing gear type, including quota allocated to recreational fisheries, where relevant, and to by-catches. 2. The Commission shall compile the annual fishing plans referred to in paragraph 1 and integrate them into a Union fishing plan. The Commission shall transmit that Union fishing plan to the ICCAT Secretariat by 15 March each year.
Article 10 Closure periods
1. Mediterranean swordfish shall not be caught, either as targeted species or as by-catch, retained on board, transhipped or landed during the closure period. The closure period shall be from 1 January to 31 March of each year. 2. In order to protect Mediterranean swordfish, a closure period shall apply to longline vessels targeting Mediterranean albacore ( Thunnus alalunga ) from 1 October to 30 November of each year. 3. Member States shall monitor the effectiveness of the closure periods referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 and shall submit to the Commission, at least two months and 15 days before the ICCAT annual meeting each year, all relevant information on appropriate controls and inspections carried out the previous year to ensure compliance with this Article. The Commission shall forward that information to the ICCAT Secretariat at least two months before the ICCAT annual meeting each year.
Article 11 Minimum conservation reference size for Mediterranean swordfish
1. By way of derogation from Article 15(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, it shall be prohibited to catch, retain on board, tranship, land, transport, store, sell or display or offer for sale Mediterranean swordfish, including in recreational fisheries: (a) measuring less than 100 cm lower jaw to fork length (LJFL); or (b) weighing less than 11,4 kg of live weight, or 10,2 kg of gilled and gutted weight. 2. Only entire specimens of Mediterranean swordfish, without removal of any external part, or gilled and gutted specimens, may be retained on board, transhipped landed or carried in the first transport after landing.
Article 12 Incidental catches of Mediterranean swordfish below the minimum conservation reference size
Notwithstanding Article 11(1), fishing vessels targeting Mediterranean swordfish may retain on board, tranship, transfer, land, transport, store, sell or display or offer for sale incidental catches of Mediterranean swordfish below the minimum conservation reference size, provided such catches do not exceed 5 % by weight or number of specimens of the total Mediterranean swordfish catch of the fishing vessels concerned.
Article 13 By-catches
1. By-catches of Mediterranean swordfish shall not exceed at any time following a fishing operation the by-catch limit that Member States establish in their annual fishing plans for the total catch on board by weight or number of specimens. 2. By way of derogation from Article 15(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, fishing vessels not targeting Mediterranean swordfish shall not retain on board Mediterranean swordfish exceeding that by-catch limit. 3. By way of derogation from Article 15(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, if the quota for Mediterranean swordfish allocated to the flag Member State is exhausted, any Mediterranean swordfish caught alive shall be released. 4. Where the quota for Mediterranean swordfish allocated to the flag Member State is exhausted, the processing and commercialisation of dead Mediterranean swordfish shall be prohibited and all catches shall be recorded. Member States shall provide information on the quantity of such dead Mediterranean swordfish on an annual basis to the Commission which shall forward it to the ICCAT Secretariat, in accordance with Article 21.
Article 14 Technical characteristics of the fishing gear
1. The maximum number of hooks that may be set by or carried on board fishing vessels targeting Mediterranean swordfish shall be fixed at 2 500 hooks. 2. By way of derogation from paragraph 1, a replacement set of 2 500 rigged hooks shall be allowed on board fishing vessels for trips longer than two days provided that it is duly lashed and stowed in lower decks so that it may not readily be used. 3. The hook size shall not be smaller than 7 cm in height. 4. The length of the pelagic longlines shall not exceed 30 nautical miles (55,56 km).
Article 15 Fishing authorisations
1. Member States shall issue fishing authorisations to fishing vessels targeting Mediterranean swordfish and flying their flag, in accordance with the relevant provisions laid down in Regulation (EU) 2017/2403, in particular Articles 20 and 21 thereof. 2. Only Union vessels included in the ICCAT record of vessels, in accordance with the procedure laid down in Articles 16 and 17, shall be allowed to target, retain on board, tranship, land, transport or process Mediterranean swordfish, without prejudice to the provisions on by-catches laid down in Article 13. 3. Large-scale fishing vessels authorised by Member States shall be registered in the ICCAT record of vessels 20 metres in length overall or greater authorised to operate in the ICCAT Convention area.
Article 16 Information on vessels authorised to catch Mediterranean swordfish and albacore tuna in the current year
1. Member States shall submit electronically each year to the Commission the following information in the format set out in the ICCAT Guidelines for submitting data and information: (a) by 1 January, the information on fishing vessels flying their flag and authorised to catch Mediterranean swordfish, as well as vessels authorised to catch Mediterranean swordfish in the context of recreational fisheries; (b) by 1 March, the information on fishing vessels flying their flag and authorised to target Mediterranean albacore tuna. The Commission shall send to the ICCAT Secretariat the information referred to in point (a) by 15 January of each year and the information referred to in point (b) by 15 March of each year. The information on the fishing vessels referred to in points (a) and (b) of the first subparagraph of this paragraph shall contain the vessel's name and Union fleet register number (CFR) as defined in Annex I to Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/218 ( 15 ) . 2. In addition to the information referred to in paragraph 1, Member States shall notify the Commission of any modification of the information on fishing vessels referred to in paragraph 1 within 30 days of that modification. The Commission shall, within 45 days from the date of the modification, transmit that information to the ICCAT Secretariat. 3. In addition to any information transmitted to the ICCAT Secretariat in accordance with paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article, the Commission shall where necessary, pursuant to Article 7(6) of Regulation (EU) 2017/2403, send updated details of the vessels referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article to the ICCAT Secretariat without delay.
Article 17 Information on vessels authorised to target Mediterranean swordfish using harpoons or pelagic longlines during the preceding year
1. By 30 June of each year, Member States shall submit electronically to the Commission the following information concerning fishing vessels flying their flag that were authorised to carry out pelagic longline fisheries or harpoon fisheries targeting Mediterranean swordfish during the preceding year: (a) name of the vessel (in the absence of the name, the registry number without country initials); (b) Union fleet register number (CFR) as defined in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/218; (c) ICCAT record number. 2. The information referred to in paragraph 1 shall be submitted in the format set out in the ICCAT Guidelines for submitting data and information. 3. The Commission shall send the information referred to in paragraph 1 to the ICCAT Secretariat by 31 July of each year.
Article 18 Vessel monitoring system
1. For control purposes, the transmission of vessel monitoring system (VMS) data from fishing vessels that are authorised to catch Mediterranean swordfish shall not be interrupted when those vessels are in port. 2. Member States shall ensure that their fisheries monitoring centres forward to the Commission and a body designated by it, in real time and using the format ‘https data feed’, the VMS messages received from the fishing vessels flying their flag. The Commission shall send those messages electronically to the ICCAT Secretariat. 3. Member States shall ensure that: (a) VMS messages from the fishing vessels flying their flag are forwarded to the Commission at least every two hours; (b) in the event of a technical malfunction of the VMS, alternative messages from the fishing vessel flying their flag received in accordance with Article 25(1) of Implementing Regulation (EU) No 404/2011 are forwarded to the Commission within 24 hours of receipt by their fisheries monitoring centres; (c) VMS messages forwarded to the Commission are numbered sequentially (with a unique identifier) in order to avoid duplication; (d) VMS messages forwarded to the Commission comply with Article 24(3) of Implementing Regulation (EU) No 404/2011. 4. Each Member State shall take the necessary measures to ensure that all VMS messages made available to its inspection vessels are treated in a confidential manner and are limited to inspection at sea operations.
Article 19 Chartering of Union fishing vessels
The chartering of Union fishing vessels for targeting Mediterranean swordfish shall be prohibited.
Article 20 National scientific observer programmes for pelagic longline vessels
1. Each Member State with a quota for Mediterranean swordfish shall implement a national scientific observer programme for pelagic longline vessels flying that Member State's flag and targeting Mediterranean swordfish in accordance with this Article. The national observer programme shall comply with the minimum standards laid down in Annex I. 2. Each Member State concerned shall ensure that national scientific observers are deployed on at least 10 % of pelagic longline vessels over 15 metres in length overall flying that Member State's flag and targeting Mediterranean swordfish. The percentage coverage shall be measured by number of fishing days, sets, vessels or trips. 3. Each Member State concerned shall design and implement a scientific monitoring approach to collect the information on the activities of pelagic longline vessels 15 metres in length overall and below flying that Member State's flag. Each flag Member State shall present the details of that scientific monitoring approach to the Commission in its annual fishing plan referred to in Article 9 by 2020. 4. The Commission shall immediately submit the details of the scientific monitoring approach referred to in paragraph 3 to the ICCAT Standing Committee on Research and Statistics (SCRS) for evaluation. Scientific monitoring approaches shall be subject to the approval of the ICCAT Commission at the ICCAT annual meeting prior to their implementation. 5. Member States shall issue their national scientific observers with an official identification document. 6. In addition to the tasks of scientific observers laid down in Annex I, Member States shall require scientific observers to assess and report the following data on Mediterranean swordfish: (a) the level of discards of specimens below the minimum conservation reference size; (b) region specific size and age at maturity; (c) habitat use, for comparison of the availability of Mediterranean swordfish to various fisheries, including comparisons between traditional and mesopelagic longline fisheries; (d) the impact of the mesopelagic longline fisheries in terms of catch composition, catch per unit effort series and size distribution of the catches; and (e) monthly estimation of the proportion of spawners and recruits in the catches. 7. By 30 June of each year Member States shall submit to the Commission the information collected under their national scientific observer programmes of the previous year. The Commission shall forward that information to the ICCAT Secretariat by 31 July of each year.
Article 21 Recording and reporting of catches
1. The master of each fishing vessel authorised to catch Mediterranean swordfish shall keep a fishing logbook in accordance with the requirements laid down in Annex II and shall submit the logbook information to the flag Member State. 2. Without prejudice to the reporting obligations for Member States established in Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009, Member States shall send quarterly reports to the Commission of all catches of Mediterranean swordfish made by authorised vessels flying their flag, unless such information is sent on a monthly basis. Those quarterly reports shall be sent using the aggregated catch data report format and no later than 15 days following the end of each quarter period (namely by 15 April, 15 July and 15 October of each year and by 15 January of the following year). The Commission shall send that information to the ICCAT Secretariat by 30 April, 30 July and 30 October of each year and by 30 January of the following year. 3. In addition to the information referred to in paragraph 1, Member States shall submit to the Commission, by 30 June of each year, the following information concerning Union fishing vessels that were authorised to carry out pelagic longline fisheries or harpoon fisheries targeting Mediterranean swordfish during the preceding year: (a) information related to fishing activities by target species and area, based on sampling or on the whole fleet, including: (i) fishing period(s) and total annual number of fishing days of the vessel; (ii) geographical areas, by ICCAT statistical rectangles, for the fishing activities carried out by the vessel; (iii) type of vessel; (iv) number of hooks used by the vessel; (v) number of longline units used by the vessel; (vi) overall length of all longline units for the vessel; (b) data on the catches, in the smallest time-area possible, including: (i) size and, if possible, age distributions of the catches; (ii) catches and catch composition per vessel; (iii) fishing effort (average fishing days per vessel, average number of hooks per vessel, average longline units per vessel, average overall length of longline per vessel). The Commission shall forward that information to the ICCAT Secretariat by 31 July of each year. 4. The information referred to in paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 shall be submitted in the format set out in the ICCAT Guidelines for submitting data and information.
Article 22 Data on quota uptake
1. Without prejudice to Article 34 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009, each Member State shall inform the Commission without delay when the uptake of the quota for Mediterranean swordfish allocated to a fishing gear type is deemed to have reached 80 %. 2. When accumulated catches of Mediterranean swordfish have reached 80 % of the national quota, the flag Member States shall send data on catches to the Commission on a weekly basis.
Article 23 Designated ports
1. Catches of Mediterranean swordfish, including by-catches and Mediterranean swordfish caught in the context of recreational fisheries with no tag affixed to each specimen as referred to in Article 30, shall only be landed or transhipped in designated ports. 2. Each Member State shall designate, in accordance with Article 43(5) of Regulation (EC) 1224/2009, ports in which landings and transhipments of Mediterranean swordfish referred to in paragraph 1 shall take place. 3. By 15 February of each year, Member States shall transmit a list of designated ports to the Commission. By 1 March of each year, the Commission shall transmit that list to the ICCAT Secretariat.
Article 24 Prior notification
1. Article 17 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 shall apply to masters of Union fishing vessels of 12 metres in length overall or more, included in the list of vessels referred to in Article 16 of this Regulation. The prior notification referred to in Article 17 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 shall be sent to the competent authority of the Member State or CPC whose ports or landing facility they intend to use, as well as to the flag Member State, if different from the port Member State. 2. Masters of Union fishing vessels under 12 metres in length overall included in the list of vessels referred to in Article 16 shall, at least four hours before the estimated time of arrival at the port, notify the competent authority of the Member State or the CPC whose ports or landing facility they wish to use, as well as the flag Member State, if different from the port Member State, the following information: (a) estimated time of arrival; (b) estimated quantity of Mediterranean swordfish retained on board; and (c) the information on the geographical area where the catch was taken. 3. If the fishing grounds are less than four hours from the port, the estimated quantities of Mediterranean swordfish retained on board may be modified at any time prior to arrival. 4. The authorities of the port Member States shall maintain a record of all prior notifications for the current year.
Article 25 Transhipments
1. Transhipment at sea by Union vessels carrying on board Mediterranean swordfish, or by third country vessels in Union waters, shall be prohibited in all circumstances. 2. Without prejudice to Article 51, Article 52(2) and (3) and Articles 54 and 57 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2107, vessels shall only tranship Mediterranean swordfish in designated ports.
Article 26 Annual inspection plans
1. By 31 January each year, Member States shall transmit their annual inspection plans to the Commission. Those annual inspection plans shall be set up in accordance with: (a) the objectives, priorities and procedures as well as benchmarks for inspection activities set out in Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2018/1986 ( 16 ) ; and (b) the national control action programme for Mediterranean swordfish established under Article 46 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009. 2. The Commission shall compile the national inspection plans and integrate them into the Union inspection plan. The Union inspection plan shall be transmitted by the Commission to the ICCAT Secretariat, for endorsement by ICCAT, together with the annual fishing plans referred to in Article 9.
Article 27 ICCAT Scheme of Joint International Inspection
1. Joint international inspection activities shall be carried out in accordance with the ICCAT Scheme for Joint International Inspection (‘the ICCAT Scheme’) set out in Annex III. 2. Member States whose fishing vessels are authorised to catch Mediterranean swordfish shall assign inspectors and carry out inspections at sea under the ICCAT Scheme. The Commission or a body designated by it may assign Union inspectors to the ICCAT Scheme. 3. When, at any time, more than 50 fishing vessels flying the flag of a Member State are engaged in Mediterranean swordfish fisheries in the ICCAT Convention area, that Member State shall deploy an inspection vessel for the purpose of inspection and control at sea in the Mediterranean Sea throughout the period that those vessels are there. That obligation shall also be deemed to have been complied with where Member States cooperate to deploy an inspection vessel or where a Union inspection vessel is deployed in the Mediterranean Sea. 4. The Commission or a body designated by it shall coordinate the surveillance and inspection activities for the Union. The Commission may draw up, in coordination with the Member State concerned, joint inspection programmes to enable the Union to fulfil its obligation under the ICCAT Scheme. Member States whose fishing vessels are engaged in Mediterranean swordfish fisheries shall adopt the necessary measures to facilitate the implementation of those joint inspection programmes, in particular as regards the human and material resources required and the periods when and geographical areas where those resources are to be deployed. 5. Member States shall inform the Commission, by 1 December of each year, of the names of the inspectors and the inspection vessels they intend to assign to the ICCAT Scheme during the following year. Using that information, the Commission shall draw up, in collaboration with the Member States, an annual plan for the Union participation in the ICCAT Scheme, which it shall send to the ICCAT Secretariat by 1 January of each year.
Article 28 Inspections in case of infringements
Where a vessel flying the flag of a Member State has committed an infringement of the provisions of this Regulation, that Member State shall ensure that a physical inspection of that vessel takes place under its authority in its ports or, where the vessel is not in one of its ports, by a person designated by that Member State.
Article 29 Management measures
1. Each Member State allowing recreational fishing for Mediterranean swordfish shall make provision for a recreational fisheries quota within its national quota and shall inform the Commission thereof when transmitting its annual fishing plan in accordance with Article 9. Such provision shall ensure that all dead Mediterranean swordfish are deducted from the quota. 2. The Member States referred to in paragraph 1 of this Article shall, for the vessels flying their flag which are engaged in recreational fisheries for Mediterranean swordfish, ensure that the information on authorised vessels referred to in Article 30(2) includes those vessels. Vessels not included with that information shall not be authorised to fish for Mediterranean swordfish. 3. The selling and any other form of marketing of Mediterranean swordfish caught in recreational fisheries shall be prohibited. 4. Notwithstanding Article 15(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, it shall be prohibited to catch, retain on board, tranship or land more than one Mediterranean swordfish per vessel per day for recreational fisheries. The Member States concerned shall take the necessary measures to ensure, to the greatest extent possible, and to facilitate the release of Mediterranean swordfish caught alive in the framework of recreational fishing, and may take more restrictive measures which improve the protection of Mediterranean swordfish.
Article 30 Control measures
1. Only ‘rod and line’ vessels shall be authorised to catch Mediterranean swordfish in recreational fisheries. 2. The information on authorised recreational vessels sent to the ICCAT Secretariat in accordance with point (a) of Article 16(1) shall include the following: (a) name of the vessel (in the absence of the name, the registry number without country initials); (b) previous name of the vessel, where applicable; (c) vessel's length overall; (d) name and address of owner(s) and operator(s) of the vessel. 3. Catch data, including length (LJFL) and live weight of each Mediterranean swordfish caught, retained on board and landed in the context of recreational fisheries shall be recorded and reported in accordance with Article 21. 4. Mediterranean swordfish may only be landed whole or gilled and gutted, and either in a designated port in accordance with Article 23, or with a tag affixed to each specimen. Each tag shall have a unique country specific number and be tamper proof. 5. Member States shall establish a tagging programme for the purposes of this Regulation and include the specifications of such programme in the annual fishing plans referred in Article 9. 6. Each Member State shall only authorise the use of tags as long as the accumulated catch amounts are within the quota allocated to it. 7. Each year Member States shall send to the Commission a report on the implementation of the tagging programme, at least two months and 15 days before the ICCAT annual meeting. The Commission shall compile the information from Member States and send it to the ICCAT Secretariat at least two months before the ICCAT annual meeting.
Article 31 Annual report
1. By 15 September of each year, Member States shall submit to the Commission a report, for the preceding calendar year, on their implementation of this Regulation, and any additional information as appropriate. 2. The annual report shall include information on the steps taken to mitigate by-catch and reduce discards of Mediterranean swordfish below the minimum conservation reference size, and on any relevant research in that field. 3. The Commission shall compile the information received pursuant to paragraphs 1 and 2, and shall forward it to the ICCAT Secretariat by 15 October of each year. 4. The Commission may adopt implementing acts as regards detailed requirements for the format of the annual report referred to in this Article. Those implementing acts shall be adopted in accordance with the examination procedure referred to in Article 36(2).
Article 32 Review
The Commission shall report to the European Parliament and to the Council on the functioning of the recovery plan set out in this Regulation by 31 December 2025.
Article 33 Financing
For the purposes of Regulation (EU) No 508/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council ( 17 ) , the recovery plan set out in this Regulation shall be deemed to be a multiannual plan within the meaning of Article 9 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013.
Article 34 Procedure for amendments
1. Where necessary in order to implement into Union law ICCAT recommendations amending or supplementing the ICCAT recovery plan which become binding on the Union, and insofar as amendments to Union law do not go beyond ICCAT recommendations, the Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 35 for the purpose of amending: (a) deadlines for reporting information as laid down in Article 9(1) and (2), Article 10(3), Article 16(1) and (3), Article 17(1) and (3), Article 21(2) and (3), Article 22(2), Article 23(3), Article 26(1), Article 27(5) and Article 31(1) and (3); (b) closure periods as provided in Article 10(1) and (2); (c) the minimum conservation reference size set out in Article 11(1); (d) the tolerance levels referred to in Articles 12 and 13; (e) the technical characteristics of the fishing gear laid down in Article 14(1) to (4); (f) the percentage of quota uptake laid down in Article 22(1) and (2); (g) the information on vessels referred to in Article 16(1) and (2), Article 17(1), Article 21(1), (2), (3) and (4) and Article 30(2); and (h) Annexes I, II and III. 2. Any amendments adopted in accordance with paragraph 1 shall be strictly limited to the implementation of amendments or supplements to the corresponding ICCAT recommendations into Union law.
Article 35 Exercise of the delegation
1. The power to adopt delegated acts is conferred on the Commission subject to the conditions laid down in this Article. 2. The power to adopt delegated acts referred to in Article 34 shall be conferred on the Commission for a period of five years from 15 July 2019. The Commission shall draw up a report in respect of the delegation of power no later than nine months before the end of the five-year period. The delegation of power shall be tacitly extended for periods of an identical duration, unless the European Parliament or the Council opposes such extension not later than three months before the end of each period. 3. The delegation of power referred to in Article 34 may be revoked at any time by the European Parliament or by the Council. A decision to revoke shall put an end to the delegation of the power specified in that decision. It shall take effect the day following the publication of the decision in the Official Journal of the European Union or at a later date specified therein. It shall not affect the validity of any delegated act already in force. 4. Before adopting a delegated act, the Commission shall consult experts designated by each Member State in accordance with the principles laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 13 April 2016 on Better Law-Making. 5. As soon as it adopts a delegated act, the Commission shall notify it simultaneously to the European Parliament and to the Council. 6. A delegated act adopted pursuant to Article 34 shall enter into force only if no objection has been expressed either by the European Parliament or the Council within a period of two months of notification of that act to the European Parliament and the Council or if, before the expiry of that period, the European Parliament and the Council have both informed the Commission that they will not object. That period shall be extended by two months at the initiative of the European Parliament or of the Council.
Article 36 Committee procedure
1. The Commission shall be assisted by the Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture established by Article 47 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013. That committee shall be a committee within the meaning of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011. 2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Article 5 of Regulation (EU) No 182/2011 shall apply.
Article 38 Amendments to Regulation (EC) No 1967/2006
In Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 1967/2006, point 6(2) is replaced by the following: ‘2. 2 500 hooks for vessels targeting swordfish ( Xiphias gladius ) where this species account for at least 70 % of the catch in live weight after sorting;’.
Article 39 
This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union .