REPORT on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down management, conservation, and control measures applicable in the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Convention area and amending Council Regulation (EU) N°520/2007

DRAFT EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION

on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down management, conservation, and control measures applicable in the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Convention area and amending Council Regulation (EU) N°520/2007 (COM(2020)0308 – C9‑0203/2020 – 2020/0139(COD))

 

(Ordinary legislative procedure: first reading)

The European Parliament,

– having regard to the Commission proposal to Parliament and the Council (COM(2020)0308),

– having regard to Article 294(2) and Article 43(2) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, pursuant to which the Commission submitted the proposal to Parliament (C9‑0203/2020),

– having regard to Article 294(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

– having regard to Rules 59 and 52(1) of its Rules of Procedure,

– having regard to the report of the Committee on Fisheries (A9-0231/2020),

1. Adopts its position at first reading, taking over the Commission proposal;

2. Calls on the Commission to refer the matter to Parliament again if it replaces, substantially amends or intends to substantially amend its proposal;

3. Instructs its President to forward its position to the Council, the Commission and the national parliaments.

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Purpose and content of the proposal

The purpose of this proposal is to transpose into EU law the control, conservation and management measures adopted by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC).

This proposal for amendment of Council Regulation (EC) No 520/2007 lays down management, conservation and control measures relating to fishing in the IATTC area and for stocks of tuna and tuna-like species, other species of fish caught by vessels fishing for tuna and tuna-like species and species belonging to the same ecosystem. The Regulation shall apply to EU vessels fishing in the IATTC Convention area.

Note that the EU has an average of three purse-seiners and thirty-some long-liners operating on in the IATTC Convention area and the main stocks targeted by the EU fleet are tropical tunas and swordfish.

The provisions of some IATTC Resolutions were last transposed through Title IV of Council Regulation (EC) No 520/2007 of 7 May 2007 laying down technical measures for the conservation of certain stocks of highly migratory species. This proposal aims to take into account changes that have occurred since the adoption of that Regulation but which have not yet been covered by EU law. Art. 3(5) of the Treaty on European Union stipulates that the EU must abide strictly by international law, which includes compliance with IATTC Resolutions.

The proposed Regulation

- contains provisions on the proposal’s subject matter, scope and objective as well as definitions (chapter I);

- deals with conservation and management measures, including provisions relevant to purse-seine vessels fishing for tropical tuna, prohibition of fishing on data buoys, provisions concerning fishing in the vicinity of Fish Aggregating Devices, their deployment, design and set of rules for transhipment in port (chapter II);

- sets out measures designed to protect certain marine species present in the area covered by the IATTC Convention, such as oceanic white-tip, silky, and hammerhead sharks and mobulid rays. These measures include data provision and release duties, as well as measures related to the protection of sea turtles and seabirds (chapter III);

- contains provisions for the IATTC observer scheme (chapter IV);

- sets vessel requirements, including those related to the IATTC Regional Vessel Register, to reporting duties and to the protocol for the sealing of wells (chapter V);

- contains information on the reporting duties related to the data statistical programme, and requirements for the bigeye tuna document programme (chapter VI);

- provides for delegated powers granted to the Commission to cater for amendments to measures which are expected to be frequent and to make sure that Union fishing vessels are put on equal footing with vessels of other Contracting Parties to the IATTC (chapter VII).

Position of the Rapporteur

The Rapporteur takes note of this Commission proposal and proposes the adoption of this legislative proposal without amendments, according to Rule 52(1) of the Rules of Procedure of the European Parliament.

PROCEDURE – COMMITTEE RESPONSIBLE