Updates to the European Union’s fleet register will soon be available in real time, following the adoption of a new regulation by the European Commission on 6 February.
The regulation makes it easier for EU member states to update the fleet register, while giving the Commission the necessary tools to cross-check the data submitted.
The regulation, which will come into force in February 2018, applies to all EU fishing vessels except aquaculture vessels and blue fin tuna traps. The data from the Union fishing register are to be used for the application of common fisheries policy (CFP) rules. The register is a necessary tool in managing the balance between fishing capacity and opportunities. Each EU fishing vessel is to be allocated a unique identification number which may not under any circumstances be reassigned or altered. Information provided includes, for example, the name of the vessel and the vessel owner, its length and tonnage, and the gear it uses.
Under the new regulation, when member states make a change (entry or exit of a vessel, change of a data) in their national fishing fleet register, they must also submit this change to the Commission on the same day. If any errors are found, the member state has three working days to make the necessary changes in the national register. The system in place at the moment, where member states had to transmit information four times a year, will be replaced.
Snapshots. The Commission may, at any time, request a “snapshot” – an overview of changes – from any member state. The Commission will check that the information is correct. If the snapshot is rejected, the Commission will notify its observations to the member state, which then will have to make the necessary changes in the national fishing fleet register not later than five national working days following the date of the notification by the Commission.
Access to vessel data. Member states will have access to the information contained in the Union fishing fleet register. The public will have access to a limited version of the register which will not contain personal data. (Original version in French by Lionel Changeur)