Changes from plenary report to adopted text

Added(24) in Article 44, paragraph 3 is replaced by the following:

RemovedRegulation (EU) No 2023/2124

Added‘3. When a trigger catch level of red coral as referred to in paragraph 4 has been reached, Member States shall close the area concerned to any red coral fishery on precautionary grounds. The Member State shall immediately inform the Commission. The Commission shall inform the GFCM Secretariat as soon as possible.’;

Removed“Db. Fishing restrictions in the Otranto Channel (geographical subarea 18) in the Adriatic Sea

Added(25) Article 46 is amended as follows:

RemovedRegulation (EU) No 2023/2124

Added(a) the title is replaced by the following:

RemovedAnnex – point 2 – introductory part, Annex XXIII a (new) and Annex XXIII b (new): (2) the following Annexes XVII, XVIII, XIX, XX, XXI, XXII, XXIII , XXIV and XXV are added:

Added‘Remotely operated vehicles (ROVs)’;

RemovedRegulation (EU) No 2023/2124

Added(b) paragraphs 1 and 2 are deleted;

RemovedAnnex – point 2, Annex XIX – indent 13: – Species targeted

Added(c) the following paragraph is added:

RemovedRegulation (EU) No 2023/2124

Added‘The use of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) shall be allowed until the end of the GFCM research programme for scientific purposes only and within Member States that authorised research programmes led by scientific institutions. Such authorisations shall be without prejudice to stricter measures adopted by Member States.’;

RemovedAnnex – point 2, Annex XX – row 6: 6. Registration ID if different from external ID

Added(26) in Article 49, the introductory part is replaced by the following:

RemovedRegulation (EU) No 2023/2124

Added‘Without prejudice to more stringent provisions laid down in Article 17 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009, prior to entry into any port, and at least four hours before the estimated time of arrival at port, or at least one hour before such arrival if the fishing grounds are less than four hours from the port of arrival, masters of fishing vessels or their representatives, or authorised fishers, shall notify to the relevant authorities the following information:’;

RemovedRegulation (EU) No 2023/2124

Added(27) Article 55 is amended as follows:

Removed* In line with the GFCM data confidentiality policy and procedures, the “data confidentiality status” identifies the access-level criteria for the sake of data dissemination: public (P), semi-private (S) or private (R).

Added(a) paragraphs 1 and 2 are deleted;

Added(b) the following paragraphs are added:

Added‘3. Member States shall implement the paper-based red coral Catch Documentation Scheme (CDS) along the entire supply chain in order to ensure the traceability of red coral (Corallium rubrum) harvested in the Mediterranean Sea and to contribute to the fight against IUU fishing activities.

Added4. The paper-based red coral CDS established in accordance with paragraph 3 shall be without prejudice to other national traceability systems in force ensuring the same level of control over the traceability of red coral products by Member States and shall include the information set out in Annex X.

Added5. The paper-based red coral CDS shall apply to first landings, exports and re-exports. Domestic trade shall not be included in the validation chain set out in paragraph 9.

Added6. Member States may establish a labelling system in order to ensure a link between CDS documents validated in accordance with paragraph 9 and red coral consignments to which they relate.

Added7. Each consignment of red coral that is imported, exported or re-exported shall be accompanied by a harvest certificate set out in Annex X or an equivalent document, such as the harvest certificate in force in the exporting Member State concerned.

Added8. Each harvest certificate shall have a unique document identification number. That number shall be specific to the flag Member States and shall be assigned to each fisher or harvesting vessel. The harvest certificates shall not be transferable to another fisher or harvesting vessel.

Added9. Member States shall validate harvest certificates when all of the information contained in the red coral CDS has been established to be accurate as a result of the verification of the supporting documents and corresponding consignment.

Added10. Member States shall report to the Commission or a body designated by it on their CDS, as well as possible tagging and identification requirements, and traceability and tracking requirements for red coral harvesting. The Commission or a body designated by it shall transmit that information to the GFCM Secretariat.

AddedThe obligation referred to in the first subparagraph shall not apply to Member States which have already notified their reports before … [the date of entry into force of this amending Regulation].

Added11. The re-export of red coral products imported under a harvest certificate in accordance with this Article shall be authorised through the validation, by the competent authorities of the Member States from which re-export is to take place, of the “re-export” section of the harvest certificate set out in Annex X or a copy thereof in which the red coral products to be re-exported are included as a part of the products imported.

Added12. When a Member State identifies non-compliance by operators with the obligations laid down in this Article, it shall inform the flag State and the Commission. The Commission shall transmit that information to the GFCM Secretariat.

Added13. Member States shall report to the Commission or a body designated by it the competent authorities they designate as responsible for validating, checking and verifying the harvest certificates and their validation seals, as well as CDS contact points and other information relevant to the implementation of the CDS. The Commission or a body designated by it shall notify the GFCM Secretariat, the competent authorities and contact points of the Member States of that other information relevant to the implementation of the CDS.

Added14. Member States shall store the validated paper-based red coral harvest certificates for a period of ten years.

Added15. Member States shall each year draw up a report on the implementation of the paper-based red coral CDS, providing detailed information and statistical data on, inter alia, annual quantities validated, annual quantities traded, number of harvest certificates validated, and any relevant elements considered to provide information on the state of play of the CDS. The Member States shall submit their reports to the Commission or a body designated by it no later than 45 days before each year’s session of the GFCM Compliance Committee (CoC). The Commission or a body designated by it shall submit those reports to the GFCM Secretariat no later than 30 days before each year’s session of the CoC.’;

Added(28) in Article 56(1), point (d) is replaced by the following:

Added‘(d) diameter of each colony harvested or average of diameter by landing.’;

Added(29) Article 57 is replaced by the following:

Added‘Article 57

AddedScope

AddedThis section applies to all fishing activities by Union bottom trawlers targeting key demersal stocks of European hake (Merluccius merluccius) and deep-water rose shrimp (Parapenaeus longirostris), in the Strait of Sicily, in GSAs 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 as provided for in Annex I.’;

Added(30) in Article 58, paragraph 2 is replaced by the following:

Added‘2. Member States shall communicate management measures or national management plans adopted pursuant to paragraph 1 and any modifications made to those measures or plans to the Commission by 15 April of each year. The Commission shall transmit those measures or plans and modifications thereof to the GFCM Secretariat by 30 April of each year.’;

Added(31) Article 59 is amended as follows:

Added(a) paragraphs 1 and 2 are deleted;

Added(b) the following paragraphs are added:

Added‘3. Fishing activities with bottom longlines, gillnets and trammel nets targeting European hake spawning aggregations shall be stopped for 30 consecutive days between March and April of each year. Member States shall communicate data on those temporal restrictions to the Commission by 15 June of each year. The Commission shall transmit that information to the GFCM Secretariat by 30 June of each year.

Added4. From 1 July until 30 September of each year, fishing activities with bottom trawlers, irrespective of the vessels’ LOA, shall not be allowed between the coast and the 200 m depth isobath in GSA 14 (Gulf of Gabès). ▌

Added5. Member States shall ensure the continuation of existing surveys-at-sea, as well as the monitoring of new areas, including the shelf and slopes at the borders of the Malta plateau. Particular focus shall be given to the continuation of the scientific surveys in GSAs 12, 13 and 14 with a view to confirming European hake nursery areas in the Gulf of Hammamet and the Gulf of Tunis as potential temporary or permanent fisheries restricted areas (FRAs). In addition, Member States shall continue efforts to map vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) with a view to securing their protection from trawling in the Strait of Sicily.

AddedMember States shall submit the data necessary for the evaluation of new FRAs in the southern Strait of Sicily at the latest one month before the 2024 meeting of the GFCM Subregional Committee for the Central Mediterranean and support that evaluation work.’;

Added(32) the following article is inserted:

Added‘Article 60a

AddedFleet management measures

AddedMember States shall ensure that the overall fleet capacity of the fleets operating with bottom trawls and actively fishing for the key stocks listed in Article 57, does not exceed, in terms of GT ▌ , kW and number of vessels, as recorded both in national and GFCM registers, over the duration of the relevant management plan, the fleet capacity for demersal fisheries in the year 2021.’;

Added(33) Article 61 is amended as follows:

Added(a) paragraphs 1 and 2 are deleted;

Added(b) the following paragraphs are added: