Brussels, 18/07/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Monday 18 July, the Council of the EU adopted the European Parliament position - the result of agreement among the EU institutions - on the multiannual plan for the recovery of the Bluefin tuna in the Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean (EUROPE 11579).
The regulation transposes into EU law the various measures taken by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) in 2012, 2013 and 2014. Its goal is to rebuild the Bluefin tuna biomass to a level corresponding to maximum sustainable yield by 2022, with at least a 60% probability of achieving this objective. The multiannual recovery plan for Bluefin tuna was launched in 2007 and is due to continue until 2022.
In a statement, the Commission “expresses concern that the limited powers delegated to it by the co-legislators may hinder the timely implementation in EU law of measures taken by ICCAT in the future that revise or update the control scheme of this Organisation”. The Commission therefore considers this regulation to be without prejudice to any future position of the institution as regards the recourse to Articles 290 and 291 the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union for the transposition of Regional Fisheries Management Organisation measures. Furthermore the Commission reserves the right to propose amendments to the regulation increasing the number of measures which should be adopted by delegated or implementing acts in case the transposition through the ordinary legislative procedure leads to delays which would jeopardise the EU's ability to comply with its international obligations. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)