Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/218 of 6 February 2017 on the Union fishing fleet register
Data as of 2026-07-04 · Compiled from an official source version. Later amendments or repeals may not be reflected; the official text prevails. · Read the official text ↗
Subject matter
This Regulation: (a) lays down the obligations of the Commission for establishing and maintaining the Union fishing fleet register; (b) lays down the obligations of Member States regarding the collection and validation of data in their national fishing fleet register and the transmission of those data to the Commission; (c) determines the minimum information on vessel characteristics and activity which must appear in the national fishing fleet registers.
Definitions
For the purposes of this Regulation the following definitions shall apply: (a) ‘fishing vessel’ means any vessel as defined in the Article 4 paragraph 1(4) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013; (b) ‘Union fishing vessel’ means: a fishing vessel as defined in the Article 4 paragraph 1(5) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013; (c) ‘Union fishing fleet’ means all Union fishing vessels flying the flag of a Member State and registered in the Union; (d) ‘aquaculture vessel’ means a vessel equipped exclusively for harvesting, transport, handling and/or landing of aquaculture products; (e) ‘event’ means any entry to or exit from the fleet of a vessel or change in one of its characteristics as listed in Annex I; (f) ‘transmission’ means a digital transfer of one or more events between the Member States and the Commission; (g) ‘Transportation layer’ means the electronic network for fisheries data exchanges as made available by the Commission to all Member States and the body designated by it to exchange data in a standardised way; (h) ‘census date’ means the date on which the first event has been communicated by a Member State to the Commission, as laid down in Annex II; (i) ‘snapshot’ means the list of events recorded for vessels in the fishing fleet register of a Member State in a defined period of time; (j) ‘legal owner’ means any natural or legal person that appears on the vessel's registration documents as having the legal title of ownership of the vessel; (k) ‘operator’ means a natural or legal person as defined in Article 4(19) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 ( 7 ) ; (l) ‘common fleet register (CFR) number’ means the unique identification number of the vessel in the Union fishing fleet, irrespective of any national fishing fleet numbers; (m) ‘personal data’ means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person as defined in Article 2(a) of Regulation (EC) No 45/2001; (n) ‘national fishing fleet register’ means the register which each Member State keeps of all the fishing vessels flying its flag; (o) ‘Union fishing fleet register’ means the register, kept by the Commission, containing information on all Union fishing vessels.
Scope
This Regulation shall apply to all Union fishing vessels except aquaculture vessels and blue fin tuna traps.
Use of the Union fishing fleet register
The data from the Union fishing register shall be used for the application of the rules of the common fisheries policy.
Data collection in the national fishing fleet register
Each Member State shall collect, validate and record without delay in the national fishing fleet register the data referred to in Annex I.
Data submission
1. The Member States shall submit to the Commission any event concerning fishing vessels introduced in the national fishing fleet register no later than at the end of the working day when the event has been fully registered. 2. If the relevant event is a correction of earlier data, all events concerning that vessel since the census date or its first entry into the national fishing fleet register shall be transmitted to the Commission. 3. Event data shall be submitted to the Commission in accordance with Article 9. 4. The Commission shall verify the correctness of the submission received and register the events in the Union fishing fleet register if the submission complies with requirements of Article 9. Otherwise the submission shall be rejected. In that case, the Commission shall notify its observations to the Member State, which shall make the necessary changes in the national fishing fleet register not later than three national working days following the date of notification by the Commission.
Snapshots
1. The Commission may request at any time a snapshot to any Member State. 2. The creation of a snapshot shall be fully automated. 3. Data shall be submitted to the Commission in accordance with Article 9. 4. The Commission shall verify the correctness of the snapshot received and shall replace the vessel data present in the Union fishing fleet register, if the submission complies with requirements of Article 9. Otherwise, the snapshot shall be rejected. In that case the Commission shall notify its observations to the Member State, which shall make the necessary changes in the national fishing fleet register not later than five national working days following the date of the notification by the Commission.
Common fleet register number
1. Member States shall assign a common fleet register (CFR) number to any fishing vessel which enters in the Union fishing fleet for the first time. 2. The CFR number shall not be altered during the period in which the fishing vessel belongs to the Union fishing fleet, even if the vessel is transferred to another Member State. 3. The CFR number shall not be reassigned to another vessel. If a fishing vessel is exported outside the Union and re-imported back into a Member State, the fishing vessel shall be reassigned the same CFR number. 4. The CFR number shall be included in all transmissions of data between the Member State and the Commission concerning the fishing vessel.
Standards for data exchange between the Commission and the Member States
1. Data shall be transmitted between the Commission and the Member States based on the United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business (UN/CEFACT) standards available on the Master Data Register page of the European Commission Fisheries website. 2. All transmissions shall be fully automated and immediate, using the transportation layer. 3. Member States shall use the implementation document FLUX Vessel Implementation Document available on the European Commission fisheries website to ensure exchange of messages. 4. Amendments to standards and to the implementation document shall be decided by the Commission in concert with Member States.
Access to vessel data
1. Member States shall have access to the information contained in the Union fishing fleet register. Such access may be granted through a user interface of an application provided by the Commission or a web service. 2. The public shall have access to a limited version of the Union fishing fleet register which shall not contain personal data.
Personal data
The processing, management and use of data collected under this Regulation which contain personal data shall comply with Directive 95/46/EC and Regulation (EC) No 45/2001.
Repeal
Regulation (EC) No 26/2004 is repealed.
Entry into force
This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 February 2018.
ANNEX I Definition of data and description of a registration Name of data Definition and comments Compulsory (C)/Compulsory if (CIF)/Optional (O) ( 7 ) Country of registration Member State in which vessel is registered for fishing pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 Always the reporting Member States — code ( 6 ) C CFR Unique identification number of a fishing vessel in the Union ISO-3 code of the Member State followed by an identifying series (nine characters). Where a series has fewer than nine characters, additional zeros must be inserted on the left hand side C UVI Unique Vessel Identifier (IMO number) pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 404/2011 CIF Event Code ( 6 ) identifying the type of event reported C Date of event ( 1 ) Date on which event occurred C Registration number The registration number given by the Member State O External marking Pursuant to Regulation (EU) No 404/2011 CIF Name of vessel The name of the fishing vessel registered in the national register C Place of registration Code ( 6 ) identifying the place (mainly a port) where the vessel is registered CIF IRCS International radio call sign CIF IRCS indicator Vessel with an international radio on board — code ( 6 ) C Licence indicator Vessel with a fishing licence according to Article 6 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 and Article 3 of Regulation (EU) No 404/2011 — code ( 6 ) CIF VMS indicator Vessel Monitoring System — code ( 6 ) . Vessel with a satellite monitoring system in accordance with Article 9 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 and Articles 18-28 of Regulation (EU) No 404/2011 CIF ERS indicator Vessel with an Electronic Reporting (logbook) System in in accordance with Article 15 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 and Articles 29 and following of Regulation (EU) No 404/2011 — code ( 6 ) CIF AIS indicator Vessel with an Automatic Identification System in accordance with Article 10 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 — code ( 6 ) CIF MMSI Maritime Mobile Service Identity O Vessel Type In accordance with the International Standard Statistical Classification of Fishery Vessels ( ISSCFV ) — code ( 6 ) CIF Main fishing gear ( 2 ) In accordance with the International Standard Statistical Classification of Fishing Gear (ISSCFCG) — code ( 6 ) C Subsidiary fishing gear ( 3 ) In accordance with the International Standard Statistical Classification of Fishing Gear (ISSCFCG) — code ( 6 ) C LOA Length Over All in metres, defined in accordance with Regulation (EEC) No 2930/86 CIF LBP Length Between Perpendiculars in metres, defined in accordance with Regulation (EEC) No 2930/86 CIF Tonnage GT In GT, defined in accordance with Regulation (EEC) No 2930/86 CIF Other tonnage In tonnes according to the Oslo Convention or in accordance with a definition to be laid down by the Member State CIF GTs In GT, an increase in tonnage permitted on ground of safety (historical data). CIF Power of main engine In kW, in accordance with Regulation (EEC) No 2930/86 C Power of auxiliary engine In kW. Includes all installed engine power not included under the heading ‘Power of main engine’ C Hull material Material of the hull — code ( 6 ) C Date of entry into service In accordance with Regulation (EEC) No 2930/86 C Segment Code ( 6 ) C Country of importation/exportation Code ( 6 ) CIF Type of export Code ( 6 ) CIF Public aid Code ( 6 ) CIF Date of construction Date when the construction has started. CIF For contacts/legal owner ( 4 ) Name Natural person: name, first name Legal person: name CIF Legal Person Indicator ‘Y’ for a legal person, ‘N’ for a natural person — code ( 6 ) O Street ( 5 ) Street name and box CIF PO box ( 5 ) Post-office box O City ( 5 ) City name O Post code ( 5 ) Post code O Country ( 5 ) Country — code ( 6 ) O Phone number International phone number O Fax number International fax number O Email address Email address O Nationality Nationality of the contact — code ( 6 ) O IMO company identifier IMO unique company and registered legal owner Identification number O For contacts/operator ( 4 ) Name Natural person: name, first name Legal person: name CIF Legal Person Indicator ‘Y’ for a legal person, ‘N’ for a natural person — code ( 6 ) O Street ( 5 ) Street name and box CIF PO box ( 5 ) Post-office box O City ( 5 ) City name O Post code ( 5 ) Post code O Country ( 5 ) Country — code ( 6 ) O Phone number International phone number O Fax number International fax number O Email address Email address O Nationality Nationality of the contact — code ( 6 ) O IMO company identifier IMO unique company and registered legal owner Identification number O ( 1 ) In the case of a fleet census, this is the date of the census in the Member State (Annex II). For all other types of event, the date of the official document recording the event must be notified. ( 2 ) Fishing gear considered to be the one most frequently used on board the vessel for a fishing period of a year or for a fishing campaign. ( 3 ) Up to five gears may be declared. ( 4 ) Up to five contacts may be registered. ( 5 ) The address based on the street, PO box, city, post code and country must be sufficiently clear for the fleet contact to be contacted. ( 6 ) Codes (or appropriate references) are listed on the Master Data Register (MDR) of the Commission Fisheries website: http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/cfp/control/codes/index_en.htm ( 7 ) Detailed rules are available in the Vessel Implementation Document on the Master Data Register (MDR) of the Commission Fisheries website: http://ec.europa.eu/fisheries/cfp/control/codes/index_en.htm
ANNEX II Date of census fixed by country BEL, DNK, FRA, GBR, PRT 1.1.1989 NLD 1.9.1989 DEU, ESP 1.1.1990 IRL 1.10.1990 ITA 1.1.1991 GRC 1.7.1991 SWE, FIN 1.1.1995 CYP, EST, LTU, LVA, MLT, POL, SVN 1.5.2004 BGR, ROM 1.1.2007 HRV 1.7.2013 Member States acceding after 1 July 2013 Accession date FRA — Mayotte Any dates from 1.1.2014 onwards ( 1 ) ( 1 ) Pursuant to Council Regulation (EU) No 1385/2013 of 17 December 2013 amending Council Regulations (EC) No 850/98 and (EC) No 1224/2009, and Regulations (EC) No 1069/2009, (EU) No 1379/2013 and (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council, following the amendment of the status of Mayotte with regard to the European Union ( OJ L 354, 28.12.2013, p. 86 ).
Source: EUR-Lex (Publications Office of the EU), © European Union, reuse permitted under Commission Decision 2011/833/EU.