Brussels, 10/07/2007 (Agence Europe) - On Tuesday 10 July, the EU Council of Ministers adopted without debate the regulation opening and providing for the management of autonomous Community tariff quotas for certain fishery products for the period 2007 to 2009. The main changes to the initial European Commission proposal are as follows (EUROPE 9438): - weight increased to over 80 gm per piece for herrings; - gradually increasing tariff quota for tuna loins (8000, 9000 and 10,000 tonnes for 2007, 2008 and 2009 respectively), whereas the Commission suggested a 10,000 tonne quota per year; - and the addition of a Commission declaration on following up the market situation. The aim of this new regulation is to allow the processing sector to more easily import the raw material that it needs. In addition to herrings and tuna loins, the regulation above all provides for quotas for cod, shrimps and prawns, anchovies (10,000 t/yr), tubes of squid, surimi (55,000 tonnes), hake fillets (15,000 tonnes) and fillets of sole (5,000 tonnes). (lc)