Proposal for a Council Implementing Decision amending the list of non-cooperating third countries in fighting IUU fishing pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008 establishing a Community system to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing

This proposal concerns the application of Council Regulation (EC) No 1005/2008 of 29 September 2008 on establishing a Community system to prevent, deter and eliminate illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing (IUU fishing), amending Regulations (EEC) No 2847/93, (EC) No 1936/2001 and (EC) No 601/2004 and repealing Regulations (EC) No 1093/94 and (EC) No 1447/1999 (the IUU Regulation).

On 15 November 2012 the Commission, by Commission Decision, notified eight third countries (Belize, the Kingdom of Cambodia, the Republic of Fiji, the Republic of Guinea, the Republic of Panama, the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, the Togolese Republic and the Republic of Vanuatu) that the Commission considered the possibility of identifying them as non-cooperating countries pursuant to the IUU Regulation.

The Commission initiated démarches in respect of the eight countries. These démarches consisted inter alia of actions providing reasons of these démarches, its actions, opportunity for the countries to respond and refute, right to ask for and provide additional information, proposed actions plans to remedy the situation as well as adequate time to answer and reasonable time to remedy the situation.

On 26 November 2013 the Commission, by Commission Implementing Decision, identified Belize, the Kingdom of Cambodia, and the Republic of Guinea as third countries that the Commission considers as non-cooperating third countries pursuant to the IUU Regulation.

On 24 March 2014 the Council, by Council Implementing Decision, established a list of non-cooperating third countries, including Belize, the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Republic of Guinea in fighting IUU fishing.

The attached proposal for a Council Implementing Decision is based on the findings which have confirmed that Belize demonstrated that the situation that warranted its listing has been rectified and Belize has taken concrete measures capable of achieving a lasting improvement of the situation.

• Primary Source

EUR-Lex: COM(2014)629: Follow the progress of this proposal through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2014:629:FIN

ESO: Background information: Illegal fisheries: green cards for five countries, but red card for Sri Lanka http://www.europeansources.info/record/illegal-fisheries-green-cards-for-five-countries-but-red-card-for-sri-lanka/

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