Minimum requirements and technical specifications for vessel monitoring devices
Article 20
1. Without prejudice to more stringent provisions set out by other rules of the common fisheries policy, Member States shall ensure that vessel monitoring devices in use: (a) have the capability to monitor and record vessel position data at a frequency of at least once every 10 minutes; (b) allow the transmission of the recorded data at a frequency and under the conditions specified in Article 23; (c) allow the storing of the recorded data during periods when transmission may not be possible, with the stored data transmitted once transmission becomes possible again; (d) be water-resistant to a rating of IP67 or higher; (e) have a unique serial number to differentiate it from other devices; (f) are fixed and secured to the fishing vessel; and (g) have functionality allowing the master to monitor the operational status and detect any malfunctioning, including through error notifications or alerts. 2. Paragraph 1(a) may not apply to fishing vessels which, at the time of entry into force of this Regulation, have already installed and are using a vessel monitoring device that does not allow for the monitoring and recording of vessel position data at a frequency of at least once every 10 minutes, provided that the device allows for the transmission of the recorded data at a frequency and under the conditions specified in Article 23. 3. Paragraphs 1(d) and (f) may not apply to fishing vessels of less than 12 metres in length overall, which use a mobile vessel monitoring device. 4. The vessel position data to be recorded and transmitted by the vessel monitoring device shall include: (a) a unique identification number, enabling the fisheries monitoring centre (FMC) of the flag Member State to link the vessel position data to the fishing vessel; (b) the most recent geographical position of the fishing vessel using latitude and longitude coordinates on the World Geodetic System 1984, expressed in decimal degrees to an accuracy of 4 decimal places, with a position error of less than 50 metres and a confidence interval of 99 percent; (c) the date and time of each geographical position recorded for the fishing vessel, expressed in Co-ordinated Universal Time; and (d) the speed (in knots, with up to 2 decimal places) and course (in degrees, with an interval between 0-359.99 and up to 2 decimal places) of the fishing vessel.