Since 14 November 1997, and following the adoption of Council Decision 86/238/EEC3, the Community has been a Contracting Party to the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas signed in Rio de Janeiro on 14 May 1966, as amended by the Protocol annexed to the Final Act of the Conference of Plenipotentiaries of the States Parties to the Convention signed at Paris on 10 July 1984 (hereinafter called the ‘ICCAT Convention’).

The ICCAT Convention provides a framework for regional cooperation in the conservation and management of tuna stocks and tuna-like species in the Atlantic Ocean and adjacent seas through the establishment of an International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, hereinafter called the ‘ICCAT’, and the adoption by the latter of conservation measures which become binding on the contracting parties.

As part of the measures to regulate stocks of bigeye tuna and swordfish, improve the quality and reliability of statistical data and control the spread of illegal fishing, the ICCAT has adopted recommendations on the introduction of statistical document programmes for bigeye tuna and Atlantic swordfish. Since these recommendations have become binding on the Community, they need to be put into effect.

Council Decision 95/399/EC4 approved the accession of the Community to the Agreement for the establishment of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission. This Agreement constitutes a framework for strengthening international cooperation for the purpose of conserving and making rational use of Indian Ocean tuna and related species through the establishment of the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission, hereinafter called the ‘IOTC’ and the adoption by the latter of resolutions on conservation and management in the area of competence of the IOTC which become binding on the contracting parties.

The IOTC has adopted a resolution establishing a statistical document programme for bigeye tuna. As this resolution has become binding on the Community, it needs to be put into effect.

The recommendations and resolution on a statistical document programme for bluefin tuna adopted previously by the ICCAT have been incorporated in Community law by Council Regulation (EC) No 858/94 of 12 April 1994 introducing a system for the statistical monitoring of trade in bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) within the Community5. In order to ensure that the provisions on statistical documents are more easily readable and applied uniformly, Regulation (EC) No 858/94 should be repealed and all the relevant provisions brought together in this Regulation.

The measures necessary for the implementation of this Regulation should be adopted in accordance with Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission6,