Regulation (EU) 2023/2833 establishing a catch documentation programme for bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus)

What it is

to establish a catch documentation programme for bluefin tuna. PROPOSED ACT: Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council. ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council. BACKGROUND: the objective of the Common Fisheries Policy is to ensure an exploitation of living biological resources that is sustainable economically, environmentally and socially. The Committee on Fisheries adopted the report by Gabriel MATO (EPP, ES) on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a catch documentation programme for bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) and repealing Regulation (EU) No 640/2010. The committee responsible recommended that Parliament adopt its position at first reading taking over the Commission proposal. This proposal sets out the rules for a Union Bluefin Tuna Catch Documentation Programme in order to implement conservation and management measures adopted by ICCAT, under its Bluefin Tuna Catch Documentation Scheme, the purpose of which is to identify the origin of all Bluefin tuna. Under the proposal, the recording and validation of catches and subsequent trade events of Bluefin tuna would be performed through an electronic Bluefin tuna catch document system (eBCD) which has been functioning since 2017 and which Member States and operators already use. The proposal stipulates that the electronic system can be replaced, exceptionally, by paper documents (the BCD, Bluefin Tuna Catch Document), equivalent to the electronic system requirements. - establishes general provisions on the use of Bluefin catch and re-export documents and sets rules for the recording and validation of catch and subsequent trade events of Bluefin tuna. Specific rules are set for tagged fish; - contains provisions for verification before validation, transmission of data of eBCD users and annual reporting to ICCAT; - proposes extensive use of delegated acts to modify the basic act in future. The European Parliament adopted by 667 votes to 3, with 2 abstentions, amendments to the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a catch documentation programme for bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) and repealing Regulation (EU) No 640/2010. The matter was referred back to the committee responsible for interinstitutional negotiations. This proposal lays down the rules of the Union bluefin tuna catch documentation programme to implement the conservation and management measures adopted by the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas relating to bluefin tuna catch documentation programme and the mandatory use of the electronic bluefin tuna catch documentation system with a view to identifying the origin of all bluefin tuna. Under the proposal, the recording and validation of catches and subsequent commercial operations concerning bluefin tuna would be carried out by means of an electronic bluefin tuna catch documentation system (eBCD), which has been operational since 2017 and is already used by Member States and operators. In exceptional cases, the…

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