The European Parliament adopted by 593 votes to 10 with 7 abstentions legislative resolution on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Regulation (EC) No 1300/2008 establishing a multi-annual plan for the stock of herring distributed to the west of Scotland and the fisheries exploiting that stock. Parliament adopted its position in first reading following the ordinary legislative procedure. The main amendments are as follows:
Definitions: Parliament amended the meaning of “herring stock in the area west of Scotland” which is defined as the stock of herring (clupea harengus) distributed to the west of Scotland which currently inhabits Union and international waters of ICES zones Vb and VIb and the part of ICES zone VIa which lies east of the meridian of longitude 7°W and north of the parallel of latitude 55°N, or west of the meridian of longitude 7°W and north of the parallel of latitude 56°, excluding the Clyde.
Delegated acts and ordinary legislative procedure: Members amend the text to state explicitly that any amendment to the multi-annual plan, apart from the exception specified in the text on revision of maximum fishing mortality rates and associated spawning stock biomass levels, must be adopted via the ordinary legislative procedure. Delegated acts are limited as to their scope to the modification of fishing mortality rates and spawning stock biomass levels and may be adopted only if the conditions specified in the text are fulfilled.
Scientific advice: Parliament clarified the text to ensure that the Commission should be obliged to use scientific data from the STECF and to consult the Pelagic Regional Advisory Council before taking any decision on adopting delegated acts fixing new values for fishing mortality rates and spawning stock biomass levels. The STECF and the Pelagic Regional Advisory Council should also be mandatorily involved in the process of evaluating the multi-annual plan.