Article 1Subject matter and scope
This Regulation establishes a de minimis exemption from the landing obligation for species subject to minimum sizes caught in small pelagic fisheries using pelagic mid-water trawl and/or purse seins in the Mediterranean Sea (fisheries for anchovy, sardine, mackerel and horse mackerel).
Article 2Definitions
For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions shall apply:
‘species subject to a minimum size’ means any species listed in Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 1967/2006;
‘Mediterranean Sea’ means maritime waters of the Mediterranean to the east of line 5°36′ West;
‘GFCM Geographical Sub-Area’ means General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM) Geographical Sub-Area as defined in Annex I to Regulation (EU) No 1343/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council(1);
‘Western Mediterranean Sea’ means GFCM Geographical Sub-Areas 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.1, 11.2 and 12;
‘South Eastern Mediterranean Sea’ means GFCM Geographical Sub-Areas 15, 16, 19, 20, 22, 23 and 25;
‘Adriatic Sea’ means GFCM Geographical Sub-Areas 17 and 18;
‘Southern Adriatic and Ionian Sea’ means GFCM Geographical Sub-Areas 18, 19 and 20;
‘Malta Island and South of Sicily’ means GFCM Geographical Sub-Areas 15 and 16;
‘Aegean Sea and Crete Island’ means GFCM Geographical Sub-Areas 22 and 23.
Article 3 De minimis exemption
1.In the small pelagic mid-water trawl and purse seines fisheries set out in Annexes I, II and III, up to 5 % of the total annual catches of any species subject to a minimum size may be discarded.
2.In the small pelagic purse seines fisheries set out in Annexes IV, V and VI, up to 3 % of the total annual catches of any species subject to a minimum size may be discarded.
3.Paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article shall apply by way of derogation from Article 15(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013.
Article 4Entry into force
This Regulation shall enter into force on 1 January 2018.
It shall apply until 31 December 2020.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 23 October 2017.
For the Commission
The President
Jean-Claude Juncker