Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2460 of 22 August 2023 supplementing Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the establishment of a de minimis exemption to the landing obligation for certain small pelagic fisheries in the Mediterranean Sea

• CELEX: Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/2460
• Articles: 4

Article 1 Implementation of the landing obligation

The landing obligation provided for in Article 15(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 shall apply in Union waters of the Mediterranean Sea in accordance with this Regulation.

Article 2 Definitions

For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions shall apply:

(a)

‘species subject to a minimum size’ means any species listed in Annex IX to Regulation (EU) 2019/1241;

(b)

‘Mediterranean Sea’ means maritime waters of the Mediterranean to the east of line 5°36′ West;

(c)

‘GFCM Geographical Sub-Area’ means General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) Geographical Sub-Area as defined in Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 1343/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council  ( 7 ) ;

(d)

‘western Mediterranean Sea’ means GFCM Geographical Sub-Areas 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.1, 11.2 and 12;

(e)

‘south-eastern Mediterranean Sea’ means GFCM Geographical Sub-Areas 15, 16, 19, 20, 22, 23 and 25;

(f)

‘Adriatic Sea’ means GFCM Geographical Sub-Areas 17 and 18;

(g)

‘Southern Adriatic and Ionian Sea’ means GFCM Geographical Sub-Areas 18, 19 and 20.

Article 3 De minimis exemptions

By way of derogation from Article 15(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, the following quantities of species may be discarded pursuant to Article 15(4), point (c) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013:

—

for anchovy, sardine, mackerel and horse mackerel, up to 5 % of the total annual catches of those species caught by vessels using mid-water trawls and purse seines in the western Mediterranean Sea (GSAs 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.1, 11.2 and 12);

—

for anchovy, sardine, mackerel and horse mackerel, up to 5 % of the total annual catches of those species caught by vessels using mid-water trawls in the Adriatic Sea (GSAs 17 and 18);

—

for anchovy, sardine, mackerel and horse mackerel, up to 3 % of the total annual catches of those species caught by vessels using purse seines in the Adriatic Sea (GSAs 17 and 18);

—

for anchovy, sardine, mackerel and horse mackerel, up to 1 % of the total annual catches of those species caught by vessels using mid-water trawls in the south – eastern Mediterranean (GSAs 15, 16, 19, 20, 22, 23 and 25);

—

for anchovy, sardine, mackerel and horse mackerel, up to 3 % of the total annual catches of those species caught by vessels using purse seine in the south-eastern Mediterranean (GSAs 20, 22 and 23);

—

for anchovy, sardine, mackerel and horse mackerel, up to 1 % of the total annual catches of those species caught by vessels using purse seine in the south-eastern Mediterranean (GSAs 15, 16, 19 and 25).

Article 4 Entry into force and application

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union .

It shall apply from 1 January 2024 until 31 December 2027.