Article 1 Subject matter
This Regulation fixes the fishing opportunities by Union fishing vessels flying the flag of Bulgaria and of Romania for 2018 for certain fish stocks in the Black Sea: (a) turbot ( Psetta maxima ); (b) sprat ( Sprattus sprattus ).
Article 2 Scope
This Regulation shall apply to Union fishing vessels operating in the Black Sea.
Article 3 Definitions
For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions apply: (a) ‘GFCM’ means General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean; (b) ‘Black Sea’ means the geographical sub-area 29 as defined in Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 1343/2011 of the European Parliament and the Council ( 4 ) ; (c) ‘fishing vessel’ means any vessel equipped for commercial exploitation of marine biological resources; (d) ‘Union fishing vessel’ means a fishing vessel flying the flag of a Member State and registered in the Union; (e) ‘stock’ means a marine biological resource that occurs in a given management area; (f) ‘Union autonomous quota’ means a limit of the catches autonomously allocated to Union fishing vessels in the absence of an agreed TAC; (g) ‘analytical quota’ means a Union autonomous quota for which an analytical assessment is available.
Article 4 Allocation of fishing opportunities
1. The Union autonomous quota for sprat, the allocation of such quota among Member States, and the conditions functionally linked thereto, where appropriate, are set out in the Annex. 2. The TAC for turbot, applicable in Union waters and for Union fishing vessels and the allocation of such TAC among Member States and the conditions functionally linked thereto, where appropriate, are set out in the Annex.
Article 5 Special provisions on allocations
The allocation of fishing opportunities among Member States as set out in this Regulation shall be without prejudice to: (a) exchanges made pursuant to Article 16(8) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013; (b) deductions and reallocations made pursuant to Article 37 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009; (c) deductions made pursuant to Articles 105 and 107 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009.
Article 6 Management of the fisheries effort for turbot
Union fishing vessels authorised to fish for turbot in the Black Sea, irrespective of the vessels' length overall, shall not exceed 180 fishing days per year.
Article 7 Data transmission
When, pursuant to Articles 33 and 34 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009, Member States send the Commission data relating to landings of quantities of stocks caught, they shall use the stock codes set out in the Annex to this Regulation.
Article 8 Entry into force
This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union . It shall apply from 1 January 2018.