Implementation into Union law of the latest measures adopted by regional fisheries management organisations

PURPOSE: to transpose into Union law certain measures adopted by certain regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs).

PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council.

ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council.

BACKGROUND: the proposed regulation presents a series of amendments to European fisheries regulations to incorporate new measures adopted by several regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs) between 2021 and 2025.

CONTENT: the proposal aims to implement into Union law certain measures adopted by the following Regional Fisheries Management Organisations (RFMOs): the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT); the South Pacific Fisheries Management Organisation (SPRFMO); the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (NAFO); the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC); the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) and the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC).

- ICCAT: the amendments align with the most recent ICCAT rules on by-catch of tropical tunas. For bluefin tuna, the concept of "farming capacity" is removed and new procedures regarding the verification of processing declarations are introduced;

- SPRFMO: the proposal covers further measure adopted in 2025, prohibiting subsidies to a vessel or operator of a vessel listed on the SPRFMO IUU Vessel list;

- NAFO: the amendments relate to the replacement of the word "discrepancies" by "potential non-compliance" as well as the introduction in NAFO of an electronic observation programme and the requirements it will meet if be used;

- IATTC: the amendments relate to some definitions and the transmission of information related to FADs and satellite buoy;

- WCPFC: the changes are related to chartering and protection of sensitive species, including reporting;

- IOTC: the amendments align with the most recent IOTC rules on: (i) the vessel monitoring system (VMS) programme; (ii) the regional observer scheme; (iii) the conservation of sharks caught in association with fisheries managed by IOTC; (iv) the conservation of shortfin and longfin mako sharks caught in association with IOTC fisheries; (v) the underage and overage of skipjack, bigeye and yellowfin tuna in the IOTC area of competence.