1. Before 1 June 2003 each Member State shall send the Commission electronically a list of the vessels of more than 24 metres overall length flying its flag and registered in its territory that it authorises to fish for tunas and tuna-like fish in the ICCAT Convention area by issue of a special fishing licence.
2. The list indicated in paragraph 1 shall give the following information:
(a) vessel's internal number as defined in Annex I to Regulation (EC) No 2090/98;
(b) any previous flags;
(c) any information on removal from other registers;
(d) name and address of owner(s) and operator(s);
(e) gear used;
(f) period authorised for fishing and/or transhipment.
3. The Commission shall send this information to the ICCAT Executive Secretariat before 1 July 2003 so that these vessels can be entered on the ICCAT register of vessels more than 24 metres in overall length authorised to fish in the ICCAT Convention area (hereinafter referred to as the ICCAT register).
4. Any change to be made to the list indicated in paragraph 1 shall be notified to the Commission for transmission to the ICCAT Executive Secretariat, the same procedure applying, at least 10 working days before the vessel begins fishing activity in the Convention area.
5. Community fishing vessels more than 24 metres in overall length that are not entered on the list indicated in paragraph 1 may not fish, retain on board, tranship or land tunas or tuna-like fish within the ICCAT Convention area.
6. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that:
(a) only vessels flying their flag that are included in the list indicated in paragraph 1 and hold on board a special fishing licence issued by them are authorised, on the terms of the licence, to carry out fishing activities referred to Article 1 in the ICCAT Convention area;
(b) no special fishing licence is issued to vessels that have carried out illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing in the ICCAT Convention area (IUU fishing), as indicated in Article 19b, unless the new owners provide adequate documentary evidence that the previous owners and operators neither any longer have any legal, beneficial or financial interest in them nor exercise any control over them, or that their vessels neither take part in nor are associated with IUU fishing;
(c) where possible, their national legislation prohibits owners and operators of vessels flying their flag that are included in the list indicated in paragraph 1 from taking part in or being associated with tuna-fishing activities in the ICCAT Convention area by vessels not on the ICCAT register;
(d) where possible, their national legislation requires owners of vessels flying their flag that are included in the list indicated in paragraph 1 to be nationals of a Member State.
7. Member States shall take the necessary measures to prohibit fishing, retention on board, transhipment and landing of tunas and tuna-like fish caught in the ICCAT Convention area by vessels more than 24 metres in overall length that are not on the ICCAT register.
8. Member States shall without delay pass on to the Commission any information showing that there are strong reasons for suspecting that vessels more than 24 metres in overall length that are not on the ICCAT register are fishing for or transhipping tunas or tuna-like fish in the ICCAT Convention area.]