Date: 2023-08-08Category: Not ApplicableState: Union GovernmentCountry: Europe
Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1609 of 1 June 2023 correcting Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/118 establishing fisheries conservation measures for the protection of the marine environment in the North Sea
Issued by European Commission
· Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
Executive Summary:
This regulation corrects Delegated Regulation EU 2017/118, which establishes fisheries conservation measures in the North Sea. The corrections address errors reported by Germany concerning the effective date of measures in the Sylter Aussenriff area and technical errors in the designation of the Dutch Exclusive Economic Zone and geographical coordinates. The regulation enters into force immediately upon publication.
Key Points / Main Content:
Corrections to Delegated Regulation EU 2017/118:
* Article 3(1) is amended to include that in area 110, fisheries conservation measures shall take effect on 1 May 2023.
* Annexes I and VI are corrected as detailed in the Annex of this regulation.
Annex I Correction (Area 111):
* The seaward separation line between the German and Dutch Exclusive Economic Zones is corrected, specifying coordinates from 53,724495 N 6,345843 E to 54,016833 N 6,095963 E.
Annex VI Corrections (Area 43):
* Management zone A in BorkumRiffgrund: The seaward separation line between the German and Dutch Exclusive Economic Zones is corrected, specifying coordinates from 53,724495 N 6,345843 E to 54,016833 N 6,095963 E.
* Management zone B in Doggerbank: The seaward separation line between the German and Dutch Exclusive Economic Zones is corrected, specifying coordinates from 55,365081 N 4,260850 E to 55,645558 N 3,637590 E.
Impact Analysis:
Fisheries Sector:
* Impact: Fishing activities in the specified areas of the North Sea are directly affected by the corrected fisheries conservation measures and geographical coordinates.
* Action Required: Adhere to the corrected effective date for area 110 (May 1, 2023) and updated coordinates for the German and Dutch Exclusive Economic Zones to ensure compliance with conservation measures.
German and Dutch Authorities:
* Impact: Responsible for enforcing the corrected fisheries conservation measures within their respective Exclusive Economic Zones.
* Action Required: Implement the corrections to the separation lines and conservation measures into national regulations and ensure monitoring and enforcement activities reflect these changes.
Key Entities Referenced
European Union: A political and economic union of member states located primarily in Europe.
North Sea: A marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean located between Great Britain, Scandinavia, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.
European Commission: An executive branch of the European Union responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, and managing the day-to-day business of the EU.
Germany: A country in Europe that informed the Commission of an error in Delegated Regulation EU 2023/340.
Netherlands: A country in Europe that shares an Exclusive Economic Zone with Germany in the North Sea.
Sylter Aussenriff: An area in the North Sea where fisheries conservation measures are to take effect.
Doggerbank: An area in the North Sea where fisheries conservation measures are implemented.
Ursula VON DER LEYEN: The President of the European Commission.
8.8.2023 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 198/27
COMMISSION DELEGATED REGULATION (EU) 2023/1609
of 1 June 2023
correcting Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/118 establishing fisheries conservation measures for the
protection of the marine environment in the North Sea
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013on
the Common Fisheries Policy, amending Council Regulations (EC) No 1954/2003 and (EC) No 1224/2009 and repealing
Council Regulations (EC) No 2371/2002 and (EC) No 639/2004 and Council Decision 2004/585/EC(1)and in particular
Article 11(2) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/118(2) establishes conservation measures for the protection of the
marine environment in certain areas of the North Sea. This Regulation was last amended by Commission Delegated
Regulation (EU) 2023/340(3).
(2) On 22 February 2023, Germany informed the Commission of an error in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/340. It
concerns a sentence contained in the joint recommendation that was not transposed into Delegated Regulation
(EU) 2023/340, namely the fact that fisheries conservation measures in the central and eastern areas of the Sylter
Aussenriff [areas 1(10)] are to take effect on 1 May 2023.
(3) On 28 February 2023, Germany informed the Commission of additional technical errors in the Annex to the
Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/340, as regards the designation of the Dutch Exclusive Economic Zone and the
geographical coordinates of the seaward separation line between the German and Dutch Exclusive Economic Zones.
(4) Therefore, Article 3(1) and Annexes I and VI to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/118, should be corrected
accordingly.
(5) As the corrections provided in this act have a direct impact on the fishing activities in the areas subject to fisheries
conservation measures, this Regulation should enter into force immediately upon publication,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/118 is corrected as follows:
(1) in Article 3(1), letter (d) is added:
‘(d) in areas 1(10), fisheries conservation measures shall take effect on 1 May 2023.’;
(2) Annexes I and VI are corrected as set out in the Annex to this Regulation.
(1) OJ L 354, 28.12.2013, p. 22.
(2) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/118 of 5 September 2016 establishing fisheries conservation measures for the
protection of the marine environment in the North Sea (OJ L 19, 25.1.2017, p. 10).
(3) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/340 of 8 December 2022 amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/118 as regards
conservation measures in Sylter Aussenriff, Borkum-Riffgrund, Doggerbank and Östliche Deutsche Bucht, and in Klaverbank, Friese
Front and Centrale Oestergronden (OJ L 48, 16.2.2023, p. 18).L 198/28 EN Official Journal of the European Union 8.8.2023
Article 2
This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.
Done at Brussels, 1 June 2023.
For the Commission
The President
Ursula VON DER LEYEN8.8.2023 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 198/29
ANNEX
Annexes I and VI to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/118 are corrected as follows:
(1) in Annex I, point c) in area 1(11) is replaced by the following:
‘c) seaward separation line between the German and Dutch Exclusive Economic Zones from 53,724495° N 6,345843°
E to 54,016833° N 6,095963° E.’;
(2) in Annex VI, point c) in areas 4(3), Management zone A in Borkum-Riffgrund is replaced by the following:
‘c) seaward separation line between the German and Dutch Exclusive Economic Zones from 53,724495° N 6,345843°
E to 54,016833° N 6,095963° E.’;
(3) in Annex VI, point c) in areas 4(3), Management zone B in Doggerbank is replaced by the following:
‘c) seaward separation line between the German and Dutch Exclusive Economic Zones from 55,365081° N 4,260850°
E to 55,645558° N 3,637590° E;’.