The provisions of this Chapter shall apply to fishing activities subject to the rules on sightings at sea adopted within regional fishery management organisations which are binding to the Community.

In the event that a Member State's competent authority responsible for inspection at sea sights a fishing vessel engaged in activities that may be considered as IUU fishing, it shall forthwith issue a report of the sighting. Such report and the results of investigations carried out on that fishing vessel by that Member State shall be considered evidence for use in the implementation of the identification and enforcement mechanisms provided in this Regulation.

Sighting reports shall be sent without delay to the competent authority of the flag Member State of the sighting fishing vessel, which shall transmit them as soon as possible to the Commission or to the body designated by it. The Commission or the body designated by it shall then immediately inform the flag State of the fishing vessel sighted. The Commission or a body designated by it shall thereupon transmit the sighting report to all the Member States and, as appropriate, to the Executive Secretary of the relevant regional fisheries management organisations for further action in accordance with the measures adopted by those organisations.

A Member State which receives a sighting report reporting the activities of a fishing vessel flying its flag from the competent authority of a contracting party of a regional fisheries management organisation shall notify the report and all relevant information as soon as possible to the Commission or to the body designated by it, which shall thereupon forward this information to the Executive Secretary of the regional fisheries management organisation concerned for further action in accordance with the measures adopted by this organisation, as appropriate.

This Article shall apply without prejudice to stricter provisions adopted by regional fisheries management organisations to which the Community is a contracting party.

Member States which obtain suitably documented information regarding sighted fishing vessels shall transmit this information without delay to the Commission or to the body designated by it with the format determined in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 54(2).

The Commission or the body designated by it shall also examine suitably documented information regarding sighted fishing vessels submitted by citizens, civil society organisations, including environmental organisations, as well as representatives of fisheries or fish trade stakeholder interests.

Member States shall, as soon as possible, initiate an investigation on the activities of fishing vessels flying their flag which have been sighted in accordance with Article 49.

Member States shall notify, where possible by electronic means, to the Commission or the body designated by it the details of the initiation of the investigation and of any action taken or intended in respect of the sighted fishing vessels flying their flag, as soon as practicable and in any case within two months of the notification of the sighting report pursuant to Article 48(4). Reports on the progress of the investigations on the activities of the sighted fishing vessel shall be provided to the Commission or to the body designated by it at appropriate regular intervals. A final report on the outcome when the investigations are completed shall be provided to the Commission or to the body designated by it.

Member States other than the flag Member State concerned shall, where appropriate, verify whether the sighted fishing vessels reported have carried out activities in maritime waters under their jurisdiction or if fisheries products stemming from those vessels have been landed or imported into their territory and shall investigate their record of compliance with relevant conservation and management measures. Member States shall notify without delay to the Commission, or to the body designated by it, and to the flag Member State concerned the outcome of their verifications and investigations.

The Commission or the body designated by it shall communicate to all the Member States the information received in accordance with paragraphs 2 and 3.

This Article shall apply without prejudice to the provisions of Chapter V of Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002 and to the provisions adopted by regional fisheries management organisations to which the Community is a contracting party.