PURPOSE: to improve the collection, management and use of data in the fisheries sector.
LEGISLATIVE ACT: Regulation (EU) 2017/1004 of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of a Union framework for the collection, management and use of data in the fisheries sector and support for scientific advice regarding the common fisheries policy and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 199/2008.
CONTENT: the new Regulation simplifies and strengthens the current system for the collection of biological, environmental, technical and socio-economic data in the fisheries sector.
The aim of the new Regulation is to align EU rules with the objectives of the reformed Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), which includes: (i) the protection of the marine environment, (ii) the sustainable management of all commercially exploited species, and in particular (iii) the achievement of good environmental status in the marine environment by 2020.
Multiannual Union programme: in order to coordinate the data collection efforts of all Member States, the Commission shall establish a multiannual Union programme for the collection and management of data. This data shall include:
· biological data on all stocks caught or by-caught in Union commercial and, where appropriate, recreational fisheries in and outside Union waters;
· data to assess the impact of Union fisheries on the marine ecosystem in and outside Union waters;
· socioeconomic data on fisheries, on the sustainability of marine aquaculture and on the fish processing sector.
The data collected should also allow:
· the targets required for the implementation of the multiannual plans referred to in Article 9 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, such as fishing mortality rates and spawning stock biomass, to be determined;
· the gaps in the coverage of data relating to the fishing fleet to be closed and the number of data-deficient stocks in certain regions to be reduced.
The Regulation stresses importance of carrying out a sufficient number of mandatory research surveys at sea to be carried out at Union level.
The new rules will ensure that all these relevant data are collected following a cost/benefit approach and without duplication of effort, thus reducing the administrative burden.
National work plans: Member States shall collect data within the framework of an operational programme, and a work plan drawn up in accordance with the multiannual Union programme.
The Commission will assess the work plans after consulting the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF). It may indicate that a Member State should make amendments to a national work plan if a national work plan does not ensure the scientific relevance of the data or sufficient quality of the proposed methods and procedures. The Member State concerned shall submit a revised national work plan.
Cooperation within the Union and regional coordination: Member States shall cooperate and coordinate their actions to further improve the quality of data. They shall coordinate their data collection activities with other Member States in the same marine region and shall make every effort to coordinate their actions with third countries.
In order to facilitate regional coordination, the relevant Member States for each marine region shall establish regional coordination groups.
Access to the sampling sites: data collectors designated by the body in charge of the implementation of the national work plan have access to all catches, vessels and other sampling sites, business registers and any necessary data.
The masters of Union fishing vessels may refuse to accept on board scientific observers only on the basis of an obvious lack of space on the vessel or for safety reasons in accordance with national law. In such cases, data shall be collected through alternative data collection methods that are set out in the national work plan.
Availability of data: data should be put into national computerised databases so that they are accessible to the Commission and can be made available to end-users of scientific data and other interested parties. Data, which do not allow for personal identification should be available without restrictions to any party with an interest in their analysis, including on the environmental aspects of fisheries management.
ENTRY INTO FORCE: 10.7.2017.
DELEGATED ACTS: the Commission may adopt delegated acts in respect of establishing a detailed list of data requirements for the purpose of data collection within the framework of the multiannual Union programme. The power to adopt such acts is conferred on the Commission for a period of three years from 10 July 2017. The European Parliament or the Council have the right to object to a delegated act within two months (which may be extended by two months) from the date of notification of the act.