Imports of Atlantic bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) originating in Bolivia, Cambodia, Equatorial Guinea, Georgia and Sierra Leone

The Committee on Fisheries adopted the report by Raül ROMEVA i RUEDA (Greens/EFA, ES) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council repealing Council Regulation (EC) N°827/2004 prohibiting imports of Atlantic bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) originating in Bolivia, Cambodia, Equatorial Guinea, Georgia and Sierra Leone and repealing Regulation (EC) N°1036/2001.

The committee recommended that the Parliament’s position adopted in first reading following the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the Commission proposal. The proposed key amendment sought to clarify that following the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) 14th Special Meeting in 2004, Regulation (EC) No 827/2004 has been amended by Regulation (EC) No 919/2005, so that it continues prohibiting imports of Atlantic bigeye tuna and its products only from Bolivia and Georgia, whereas imports from Cambodia, Equatorial Guinea and Sierra Leone should be permitted again.