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

PURPOSE: lifting restrictions on tuna imports from Bolivia and Georgia.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EU) No 249/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 827/2004 prohibiting imports of Atlantic bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) originating in Bolivia, Cambodia, Equatorial Guinea, Georgia and Sierra Leone and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1036/2001.

CONTENT: the Regulation repeals Regulation (EC) No 827/2004 which prohibits imports of Atlantic bigeye tuna originating in Bolivia, Cambodia, Equatorial Guinea, Georgia and Sierra Leone into the Union.

In 1998, the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) adopted a resolution that identified Bolivia, Cambodia, Equatorial Guinea, Georgia and Sierra Leone as countries whose vessels fish Atlantic bigeye tuna (Thunnus obesus) in a manner that diminishes the effectiveness of its conservation and management measures. That resolution led to the adoption of Council Regulation (EC) No 827/2004 prohibiting imports of Atlantic bigeye tuna from these countries.

In 2005, the Council amended Regulation (EC) No 827/2004 to lift the prohibition on imports of Atlantic bigeye tuna and its products from Cambodia, Equatorial Guinea and Sierra Leone into the Union after ICCAT acknowledged the efforts made by these three countries to address its concerns.

In 2011, ICCAT also acknowledged the efforts made and actions taken by Bolivia and Georgia and adopted a recommendation lifting the import prohibitions on Atlantic bigeye tuna and its products which had been imposed on those two countries.

Accordingly, Regulation (EC) No 827/2004 is repealed.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 27/03/2014.