Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

▸6 unchanged paragraphs

on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2017/2107 laying down management, conservation and control measures applicable in the Convention area of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), Regulation (EU) 2018/975 laying down management, conservation and control measures applicable in the South Pacific Regional Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO) Convention Area, Regulation (EU) 2019/833 laying down conservation and enforcement measures applicable in the Regulatory Area of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation, Regulation (EU) 2021/56 laying down management, conservation and control measures applicable in the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Convention, Regulation (EU) 2022/2056 laying down conservation and management measures applicable in the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Convention Area, Regulation (EU) 2022/2343 laying down management, conservation and control measures applicable in the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) Area of Competence, and Regulation (EU) 2023/2053 establishing a multiannual management plan for bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean

(COM(2025)0195 – C100082/2025 – 2025/0106(COD))

(Ordinary legislative procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2025)0195),

– having regard to Article 294(2) and Article 43(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C100082/2025),

Removed– having regard to the opinion of the Committee on Legal Affairs on the proposed legal basis,

– having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

– having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee of 16 July 2025,

Changed– having regard to RulesRule 60 and 41 of its Rules of Procedure,

Changed– having regard to the report of the Committee on Fisheries (A100000/2025),(A10-0039/2026),

1. Adopts its position at first reading hereinafter set out;

2. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

Change 1

AddedRecital 4: (4) At its 28th Regular Meeting in 2023, and additionally at its 24th Special Meeting in 2024, ICCAT also adopted control measures for the conservation of fishery resources under its purview relating to the exchange of quotas between Joint Fishing Operations, prior notification of landings, monitoring of bluefin tuna transfers operations by video camera, caging operations, and control activities in the farms after caging.

AddedRecital 5: deleted

AddedRecital 5 a (new): (5a) Application of those management measures in the Mediterranean must be in line with the strategic goal of food sovereignty for the Union. At a time when the Commission is proposing drastic cuts to fishing effort in the western Mediterranean for 2026 (up to 64 % for trawl), it is imperative for the transposition of international rules not to add layers of complexity that speed up the dismantling of the fleet, which would irreversibly increase dependence on neighbouring countries for sea products.

AddedRecital 7: (7) The SPRFMO Commission adopted at its 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 annual meetings further measures for the conservation of fishery resources under its purview related to bottom fishing, transhipment, gillnets, observer programmes and data, and vessel monitoring systems, as well as new measures in particular a new protocol for high seas boarding and inspections, including procedures for alleged infringements, and measures on marine pollution and on the marking and identification of fishing vessels. New requirements must be properly coordinated with Member States to ensure they are technically and economically feasible, especially in regions affected by recent highly contentious management decisions, such as proposed reductions of Mediterranean trawl fleets, which threaten the sector's survival and increase dependence on imports from third countries.

AddedRecital 8: deleted

AddedRecital 10: (10) NAFO adopted at its annual meetings in 2023 and 2024 further measures for the conservation of fishery resources under its purview regarding cod in Divisions 2J3KL including closure, bycatch and retention on board, observers, surveillance, and relevant additional procedure for serious infringements. Furthermore, any future restriction on bottom gears in sensitive areas of the Atlantic should make a distinction between techniques that have clearly different impacts; in particular, bottom-set longlines’ highly selective nature and limited impact on benthic ecosystems mean they should be excluded from the applicable bans in the 87 Atlantic areas affected. Applying widespread restrictions without distinction would jeopardise the viability of sustainable fleet segments without bringing real environmental benefits.

AddedRecital 11: deleted

AddedRecital 14: deleted

Recital 16: (16) WCPFC adopted at its 2022, 2023 and 2024 annual meetings measures related to bunkering services and protection of sharks and use of branch lines, wire leaders and shark lines by Union longline vessels with prohibition of shark retention and duty to release, as well as surrender or discard of unintentionally caught Oceanic whitetip and silky sharks or cetacean specimens.

Change 2

RemovedRecital 20: (20) IOTC resolution 24/06 implemented a ban on discards of bigeye tuna, skipjack tuna, yellowfin tuna, and non-targeted species caught by vessels in the IOTC record of authorisation that operate in the IOTC area of competence. Union fishing vessels using other gear types than those used by purse seine vessels are encouraged to retain on board and then land all fish fit for human consumption, and to take all reasonable steps to ensure the safe release of non-targeted species taken alive, to the extent possible, while taking into consideration the safety of the crew. They are also encouraged to retain on board and then land all dead non-targeted species, except those considered unfit for human consumption or prohibited from retention.

AddedRecital 17: deleted

AddedRecital 19: (19) IOTC subsequently adopted at its 2022, 2023 and 2024 annual meetings and 6th special session measures for the conservation of fishery resources under its purview as regards management of anchored and drifting fish aggregating devices, voluntary fishery closure, transhipments, conservation measures for cetaceans and seabirds, regional observer schemes, vessel monitoring plans, electronic monitoring standards and port inspections. The measures adopted must take account of fleets' socio-economic circumstances and ensure that additional obligations do not compromise the Union fleet's competitiveness compared to third countries that have considerably lower environmental and labour standards.

AddedRecital 20: (20) IOTC resolution 24/06 implemented a ban on discards of bigeye tuna, skipjack tuna, yellowfin tuna, and non-targeted species caught by vessels in the IOTC record of authorisation that operate in the IOTC area of competence. Union fishing vessels using other gear types than those used by purse seine vessels are encouraged to retain on board and then land all fish fit for human consumption, and to take all reasonable steps to ensure the safe release of non-targeted species taken alive, to the extent possible, while taking into consideration the safety of the crew. They are also encouraged to retain on board and then land all dead non-targeted species, except those considered unfit for human consumption or prohibited from retention. The implementation of those measures should take into consideration the efforts made by vessels to avoid non-target species and make sure that port infrastructure in the region provides the necessary conditions to manage the landings of those non-target species without impacting the normal landing operations.

AddedRecital 21: (21) These measures, stemming from ICCAT, SPRFMO, NAFO, IATTC, WCPFC and IOTC, are binding on the Union. They should therefore be implemented into Union law, except where such measures are already fully addressed and covered by existing Union legislation.

AddedRecital 21 a (new): (21a) Recommendations must be strictly transposed, ensuring a level playing field for all operators in relation to operators from other contracting parties, while minimising administrative burdens and avoiding any obligations beyond those set out in the recommendations concerned.

AddedRecital 21 b (new): (21b) It is imperative for the Union to carefully consider the socio-economic implications of fisheries management measures and, where appropriate, evaluate their impact on the fishing sector and coastal communities. Such measures shall be based on the best available scientific advice and comply with Article 2 of the Common Fisheries Policy, ensuring the viability and competitiveness of Union fishing, promote sustainable fleet capacity, and support the development of coastal fisheries.

AddedRecital 22: (22) Certain SPRFMO, NAFO, IATTC, IOTC and ICCAT provisions are being amended more frequently and are likely to be amended at future SPRFMO, NAFO, IATTC, IOTC, and ICCAT annual meetings. In order to implement swiftly into Union law such future amendments, without letting the need for swiftness be used to introduce additional restrictions that have not been duly discussed with the European Parliament and the Member States, the power to adopt acts in accordance with Article 290 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union should be delegated to the Commission. In this context, enhanced surveillance is important to avoid delegated acts being used unilaterally to introduce new restrictions on fishing effort, such as those recently proposed for the Mediterranean, which have been broadly rejected by the sectors affected and could jeopardise the socio-economic viability of fishing communities. On this basis, delegated powers must be used strictly within the limits set by the legislator and applied in line with the following provisions: (i) with regards to SPRFMO in respect to time limits, distance to the encounter area, distances related to transhipment notification, data and information requirements, and provision of record of vessel information; with regards to NAFO, in respect of measures relating to Member State duties related to the submission of changes in by-catch retained, closure periods, observer qualifications, duties, training, observer data validations, observ…

AddedRecital 23: (23) It is of particular importance that the Commission carry out appropriate consultations during its preparatory work, including at expert level and with representatives of relevant stakeholders, and that those consultations be conducted in accordance with the principles laid down in the Interinstitutional Agreement of 13 April 2016 on Better Law-Making13. In particular, to ensure equal participation in the preparation of delegated acts, adapted to the fleet conditions and reality, the European Parliament and the Council receive all documents at the same time as Member States' experts, and their experts systematically have access to meetings of Commission expert groups dealing with the preparation of delegated acts. The Commission is also encouraged to make use of the possibility provided by invitations to meetings in the European Parliament or the Council in order to have a further exchange of views on the preparation of delegated acts.

Recital 23 a (new): (23a) Personal data processed in the framework of the Regulations amended by this Regulation should be treated in accordance with the applicable provisions of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Regulation (EU) 2018/1725. In order to ensure the fulfilment of obligations under Regulations (EU) 2017/2107, (EU) 2018/975, (EU) 2019/833, (EU) 2021/56, (EU) 2022/2056, and (EU) 2023/2053 as amended, the personal data should be stored for a period of 10 years. In the event that the personal data in question are needed in order to follow up an infringement, inspection or judicial or administrative procedures, it should be possible for those data to be stored for a period exceeding 10 years, but no longer than 20 years.

Change 3

AddedRecital 23 b (new): (23b) The Commission shall engage with the Parliament and the Council to discuss the joint RFMOs transposition process with several different regulations being amended ahead of the next adoption, and should afterwards assess that process three years from the date of entry into force of this Regulation, and every three years thereafter.

Regulation (EU) 2017/2107

Change 4

ChangedArticle 1 – paragraph 1 – point 2, Article 30a: (2) The following Article is inserted: / 1. It shall be prohibited to: / (a) retain on board, tranship, or land, any part or whole of the carcass of whale sharks caught in association with ICCAT fisheries; / (b) set a purse seine on a school of tuna associated with a whale shark after sighting of the shark concerned. / 2. Masters of Union fishing vessels, shall take all reasonable steps to ensure the safe release of whale sharks that are incidentally encircled in the purse seine net. / 3. Member States shall ensure that their domestic observer programmes record purse seine operations with interactions with whale sharks referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2, and that the following information is collected: / (c) geographic position of the interaction; / (d) steps taken by the fishing vessel to ensure safe handling and release of the specimens encircled in the purse seine; / 4. Member States shall report to the Commission, in accordance with ICCAT data reporting requirements, the data and information collected under paragraph 3 in their annual reports. The Commission shall report these data to the ICCAT Secretariat. / 5. The provisions in paragraphs 1 to 4 shall apply exclusively to fishing vessels operating between 40° N and 40° S.S.”

Regulation (EU) 2017/2107

Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3, Article 33a – paragraph 6: 6. Union fishing vessels that are equal to or greater than 12 metres in length overall shall be allowed to retain South Atlantic shortfin mako only when the fish is dead on haulback, and the vessel has an observer or a functioning electronic monitoring system (EMS) on board to verify the condition of the sharks.

Change 5

ChangedRegulation (EU) 2017/21072021/2107

Change 6

ChangedArticle 1 – paragraph 1 – point 3, Article 33a – paragraph 7: 7. In addition to the conditions mentioned in paragraph 6, for Union fishing vessels that are equal to orof greaterless than 12 metresmeters in length overall, no more than one specimen of South Atlantic shortfin mako shall be retained by a vessel for any fishing trip.

Change 7

AddedThe following amendment will substitute amendment 6.

▸9 unchanged paragraphs

Regulation (EU) 2017/2107

Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4, Article 35a – paragraph 1: 1. It shall be prohibited to retain onboard, tranship, land or store any part or whole carcass of species of reef manta ray (Manta alfredi), giant manta (Manta birostris), lesser devil ray (Mobula hypostoma), spinetail mobula (Mobula japanica), devil fish (Mobula mobular), chilean devil ray (Mobula tarapacana) or smoothtail mobula (Mobula thurstoni), hereafter referred to as mobulid rays and caught in association with ICCAT fisheries.

Regulation (EU) 2017/2107

Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4, Article 35a – paragraph 3: 3. Member States shall ensure that their domestic observer programmes record the number of discards and releases of mobulid rays caught in ICCAT fisheries and, where possible, an indication of status (dead or alive). Member States shall report them to the Commission. The Commission shall report these data to the ICCAT secretariat.

Regulation (EU) 2017/2107

Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 4, Article 35a – paragraph 4: 4. In the case of mobulid rays that are unintentionally caught and frozen as part of a purse seine vessel’s operation, Union catching vessels shall surrender the whole mobulid ray to the competent authorities, or discard them at the point of landing. Mobulid rays surrendered in this manner may not be sold or bartered but may be donated for purposes of domestic human consumption.

Regulation (EU) 2017/2107

Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 5, Article 41 – paragraph 7: (a) paragraphs 2a, 4 and 5 shall not apply to vessels operating only North of 55°N or South of 35°S latitude in the eastern South Atlantic and South of 40°S latitude in the western South Atlantic; / (b) the limit for the division between the eastern South Atlantic and the western South Atlantic is 20°W.

Regulation (EU) 2017/2107

Change 8

ChangedArticle 1 – paragraph 1 – point 6, Article 66a – Paragraphparagraph 3: 3. When a vessel is sighted pursuant to paragraph 1, the Member State concerned or the European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) (the ‘sighting entity’) shall record findings and transmit a report without delay, if possible by electronic means, to the appropriate authorities of the flag Member State or CPC or flag non-CPC of the sighted vessel, with copy to the ICCAT secretariat, the Commission and, when appropriate, EFCA. If the sighted vessel is flagged to a Member State, the flag Member State shall, without undue delay, take appropriate action with respect to the vessel concerned; both the sighting entity and the flag Member State of the sighted vessel shall provide information on the sighting to the Commission and, when appropriate, EFCA, including details of any follow-up action taken.

▸9 unchanged paragraphs

Regulation (EU) 2017/2107

Article 1 – paragraph 1 – point 6 a (new), Article 72: (6a) Article 72 is replaced by the following: / “Article 72 / Confidentiality and data protection / 1. Data collected and exchanged in the framework of this Regulation shall be treated in accordance with the applicable rules on confidentiality pursuant to Articles 112 and 113 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009. / 2. The collection, transfer, storage or other processing of any data pursuant to this Regulation shall be in accordance with Regulations (EU) 2016/679* and (EU) 2018/1725** of the European Parliament and of the Council. / 3. Personal data processed under this Regulation shall not be stored for a period longer than 10 years, except if those personal data are necessary to enable the follow-up of an infringement, an inspection, or judicial or administrative procedures. In those cases, the personal data may be stored for a maximum of 20 years. If personal data are retained for a longer period, the data shall be anonymised. / *Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data, and repealing Directive 95/46/EC (General Data Protection Regulation) (OJ L 119, 4.5.2016, p. 1). / **Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the fre…

Regulation (EU) 2018/975

Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1 – point a, Article 4 – point 7: (a) point (7) is replaced by the following: / (7) ‘bottom fishing’ means fishing using any gear type likely to come in contact with the seafloor or benthic organisms during the normal course of operations including bottom trawl fishing, mid-water trawl fishing and bottom line fishing;

Regulation (EU) 2018/975

Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1 – point b, Article 4 – points 7a, 7b and 7c: (7a) ‘bottom trawl fishing’ means fishing using a trawl net that is designed to be pulled through the water and to come into contact with the seabed; / (7b) ‘mid-water trawl fishing’ means fishing for bentho-pelagic species using a trawl net that is designed to be pulled through the water near the seabed and designed not to come into extended contact with the seabed; / (7c) ‘bottom line fishing” means fishing using a line to which a hook or hooks (whether baited or not) are attached and rigged to sink and fish on or near the seabed including, but not limited to, longlines, hand lines, drop lines, trot lines, and dahn lines;

Regulation (EU) 2018/975

Article 2 – paragraph 1 – point 1 – point c, Article 4 – point 11 – point a: (a) has not been subject to fishing in the previous 10 years, and where such fishing was limited to targeted fisheries authorised by the SPRFMO Commission on the basis of advice from the SPRFMO Scientific Committee, and the target species was defined as the largest percentage in live weight of the total catch in any given haul, tow or set; or

Regulation (EU) 2018/975