Fishing in the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) Agreement area: technical measures

The Commission gave its opinion on the position of the Council on the adoption of a Regulation amending Regulation (EU) No 1343/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 2011 on certain provisions for fishing in the GFCM (General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean) Agreement area.

The position of the Council reflects the political agreement reached by the European Parliament and the Council on 26 March 2015. The Commission supports the Council in its position which introduced a new derogation in Article 15a, which concerns the use of trawl nets in coastal waters of the Black Sea and takes account of the prevailing situation in that region.

The European Parliament made 25 amendments at first reading. With the exception of  amendment 19 (on fishing vessels equipped with trawl nets and purse seines in Geographical Sub-areas 17 or 18, which the European Parliament agreed to withdraw), all the other amendments have been integrated in the Council position.

The Commission has made two statements with a view to clarifying some issues linked to derogations on red coral and more precisely to the adoption of national measures during a transitional period and to the final date for the use of Remotely Operated underwater Vehicles (ROVs) for observation and prospection of red coral.