Date: 2025-04-15Category: Not ApplicableState: Union GovernmentCountry: Europe
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/713 of 14 April 2025 operating deductions from fishing effort available to Italy in 2024 on account of overfishing in the previous year
Issued by European Commission
· Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
## Report on Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/713 Regarding Fishing Effort Deductions for Italy
**1. Executive Summary:**
This report analyzes Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/713 of 14 April 2025. This regulation operates deductions from fishing effort available to Italy in 2024 due to overfishing in 2023. The core purpose is to ensure compliance with the Common Fisheries Policy by penalizing over-allocation of fishing effort. A key finding is that due to a lack of available fishing effort in the initially targeted area, deductions are being applied to an alternative, but related, fishing segment. This will directly affect Italian fishing vessels and requires them to adapt their operations within the Mediterranean Sea.
**2. Introduction:**
The purpose of this report is to provide an informative overview of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/713, based solely on the provided policy text. This report will detail the policy's objectives, rationale, key changes, affected stakeholders, implementation aspects, and expected outcomes for the affected industry.
**3. Policy Overview:**
* This is an implementing regulation operating deductions based on a prior instance of non-compliance. It amends the fishing effort opportunities as defined in Council Regulation (EU) 2024/259.
* **Core Objective(s):** The primary objective is to enforce compliance with fishing effort regulations by deducting fishing effort allocations from Italy in 2024, to compensate for exceeding its fishing effort allocation in 2023. A secondary objective is to ensure that deductions are applied even when the initially targeted fishing effort is unavailable by applying deduction to alternative fisheries.
**4. Background and Rationale:**
This regulation serves to address overfishing by Italy in 2023 of European hake in specific GFCM (General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean) geographical subareas. Specifically, Italy exceeded its fishing effort limits for:
* Demersal longliners targeting European hake in GFCM geographical subareas 8, 9, 10 and 11 (EFF1MED2LL3).
* Type 10 length bottom trawl vessels targeting European hake in the GFCM geographical subareas 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 (EFF4MED4OTB2).
The text indicates that deductions were originally intended to be applied to the same fisheries where the overfishing occurred. However, the fishing effort allocation for Type 10 bottom trawl vessels (EFF4MED4OTB2) in the specified areas in 2024 is insufficient to accommodate the required deductions. Therefore, the regulation invokes Article 106(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 to deduct the fishing effort from an alternative fishing segment in the same geographical area.
**5. Key Provisions / Changes:**
This regulation focuses *specifically* on the changes required due to prior overfishing:
* **What specific part of the original policy is being changed:** The fishing effort opportunities fixed for the year 2024 in Regulation EU 2024/259 are being reduced.
* **What the *new* rule/provision *is*, based *only* on the amendment text:**
* The fishing effort allocation for Italy for *demersal longliners* targeting European hake in GFCM subareas 8, 9, 10 and 11 (EFF1MED2LL3) is reduced by 20 days due to overfishing in 2023 (from 26 days to 20 days).
* Due to the unavailability of sufficient fishing effort allocation for Type 10 bottom trawl vessels (EFF4MED4OTB2) to apply deductions on, the fishing effort allocation for *Type 11* bottom trawl vessels (EFF4MED4OTB3) targeting European hake in GFCM subareas 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16 is being reduced by 352 days.
* **Explain the *difference* or the *effect* of this specific change:** The initial intent was to deduct from the specific fishing segment that overfished. The change shifts the burden of the deduction to a different, albeit related, fishing segment (T11 Bottom Trawlers instead of T10 Bottom Trawlers). This change likely affects different vessels and potentially different companies within the Italian fishing industry operating in the same general geographical area.
**6. Target Audience and Stakeholders:**
The primary target audience and stakeholders are:
* Italian fishing vessels operating in the Mediterranean Sea.
* Specifically, vessels engaged in demersal longlining for European hake in GFCM subareas 8, 9, 10, and 11.
* Most significantly, Type 11 bottom trawl vessels targeting European hake in GFCM subareas 12, 13, 14, 15, and 16.
* The Italian government, responsible for implementing and enforcing the regulation.
**7. Implementation Aspects (Inferred):**
* **Responsible agency/bodies mentioned?** The European Commission is responsible for establishing the regulation and overseeing its implementation. The Italian government is responsible for enforcement.
* **Any timelines or procedures specified *in the text*?** The regulation enters into force on the seventh day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union (April 15, 2025), meaning it is effectively immediately. The deductions apply to the 2024 fishing effort allocations.
* The Italian government must reduce the fishing effort of Italian vessels according to the annexes. The text references Article 33 of Regulation EC No 1224/2009, suggesting monitoring of fishing effort deployment data by Italy to ensure compliance.
**8. Expected Outcomes / Impact of Changes:**
The likely intended outcome *of these specific changes* is to:
* Reduce overall fishing effort by Italy in the specified areas to compensate for prior overfishing.
* Incentivize compliance with fishing effort regulations in the future.
* Potentially lead to a shift in fishing practices among Italian vessels, as those affected by the deductions may need to reduce their activity or explore alternative fishing opportunities.
* The impact of the deduction will be felt more acutely by Type 11 bottom trawl vessels as they will bear the burden of deductions related to the overfishing of Type 10 bottom trawl vessels.
**9. Conclusion:**
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/713 is a significant enforcement measure aimed at ensuring compliance with the Common Fisheries Policy. While triggered by past overfishing, it has immediate implications for Italian fishing vessels operating in the Mediterranean Sea, particularly those utilizing Type 11 bottom trawls in specific GFCM subareas. The shift in deduction target highlights the complexity of fisheries management and the potential for regulatory measures to impact different segments of the industry, even when addressing prior non-compliance.
Key Entities Referenced
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION EU 2025/713: Commission Implementing Regulation EU 2025/713 operating deductions from fishing effort available to Italy in 2024 on account of overfishing in the previous year
Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union: Treaty that provides the legal basis for EU laws and policies
Council Regulation EC No 1224/2009: Council Regulation establishing a Union control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the common fisheries policy
Article 106(1, 2 and 3) of Regulation EC No 1224/2009: Article of the regulation that outlines the process for deductions when a member state exceeds fishing effort limits
Council Regulation EU 2023/1952: Council Regulation establishing fishing effort opportunities for 2023
Council Regulation EU 2024/2593: Council Regulation establishing fishing effort opportunities for 2024
Article 106(2) of Regulation EC No 1224/2009: Article of the regulation that outlines how deductions are applied in subsequent years using multiplying factors
General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean GFCM: Regional fisheries management organization
Article 106(3) of Regulation EC No 1224/2009: Article of the regulation that outlines deduction on the fishing effort allocated to Italy for Type 11
Article 33 of Regulation EC No 1224/2009: Article related to the declaration of fishing effort deployment data by Italy
Regulation EU 2024/259: Regulation that fixes the fishing effort opportunities for 2024
Regulation EU No 1380/2013: Regulation on the Common Fisheries Policy
Article 16(8) of Regulation EU No 1380/2013: Article related to transfer of fishing days, exchanges of fishing opportunities
Article 106 of Regulation EC No 1224/2009: Article related to deduction of fishing opportunities
Italy: Member State to which the regulation applies, regarding fishing effort deductions.
Ursula VON DER LEYEN: The President of the European Commission.
Official Journal EN
of the European Union L series
2025/713 15.4.2025
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) 2025/713
of 14 April 2025
operating deductions from fishing effort available to Italy in 2024 on account of overfishing in the
previous year
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 of 20 November 2009establishing a Union control system for
ensuring compliance with the rules of the common fisheries policy, amending Regulations (EC) No 847/96, (EC)
No 2371/2002, (EC) No 811/2004, (EC) No 768/2005, (EC) No 2115/2005, (EC) No 2166/2005, (EC) No 388/2006, (EC)
No 509/2007, (EC) No 676/2007, (EC) No 1098/2007, (EC) No 1300/2008, (EC) No 1342/2008 and repealing
Regulations (EEC) No 2847/93, (EC) No 1627/94 and (EC) No 1966/2006(1), and in particular Article 106(1), (2) and (3)
thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Fishing effort opportunities for the year 2023 have been established by Council Regulation (EU) 2023/195(2).
(2) Fishing effort opportunities for the year 2024 have been established by Council Regulation (EU) 2024/259(3).
(3) Pursuant to Article 106(1) of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009, when the Commission has established that a Member
State has exceeded the fishing effort which has been allocated to it, the Commission is to operate deductions from
the future fishing effort allocated to that Member State.
(4) Article 106(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 provides that such deductions are to be operated in the following
year or years by applying the respective multiplying factors as set out therein.
(5) Italy has exceeded the maximum allowable fishing effort allocated to it for the year 2023 for Type 10 length bottom
trawl vessels targeting European hake in the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM)
geographical subareas 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 (EFF4/MED4_OTB2) and for demersal longliners targeting European
hake in the GFCM geographical subareas 8, 9, 10 and 11 (EFF1/MED2_LL3).
(6) Deductions should therefore be operated on the fishing effort allocated to Italy in 2024 for the overfished fishing
effort in the areas and fisheries concerned.
(7) However, the fishing effort available to Italy in 2024 for Type 10 length bottom trawl vessels targeting European
hake in the GFCM geographical subareas 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16 (EFF4/MED4_OTB2) is not available to operate the
due deduction on the fishing effort in the same area and fishery concerned.
(8) Article 106(3) of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 provides that if the deduction cannot be operated on the fishing
effort that was exceeded because such fishing effort is not or not sufficiently available to the Member State
concerned, the Commission may deduct in the following year or years fishing effort available to that Member State
in the same geographical area.
(1) OJ L 343, 22.12.2009, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2009/1224/oj.
(2) Council Regulation (EU) 2023/195 of 30 January 2023 fixing for 2023 the fishing opportunities for certain stocks and groups of fish
stocks applicable in the Mediterranean and Black Seas and amending Regulation (EU) 2022/110 as regards the fishing opportunities
for 2022 applicable in the Mediterranean and the Black Seas (OJ L 28, 31.1.2023, p. 220, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2023/
195/oj).
(3) Council Regulation (EU) 2024/259 of 10 January 2024 fixing for 2024 the fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks and groups of
fish stocks applicable in the Mediterranean and Black Seas (OJ L, 2024/259, 11.1.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2024/
259/oj).
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2025/713/oj 1/4EN
OJ L, 15.4.2025
(9) It is therefore appropriate to operate the deduction from fishing effort allocated to Italy for Type 11 length bottom
trawl vessels targeting European hake in the GFCM geographical subareas 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16
(EFF4/MED4_OTB3).
(10) Italy has been informed and consulted about the Commission’s intention to operate the deduction from this
alternative fishing effort allocated to that Member State in 2024 in the same geographical area.
(11) Further updates or corrections may still occur following the detection, for the current or previous deduction
exercises, of errors, omissions or misreporting in the fishing effort deployment data declared by Italy pursuant to
Article 33 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
The fishing effort opportunities fixed for the year 2024 in Regulation (EU) 2024/259 shall be reduced as set out in the
Annexes to this Regulation.
Article 2
This Regulation shall enter into force on the seventh 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, 14 April 2025.
For the Commission
The President
Ursula VON DER LEYEN
2/4 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2025/713/ojANNEX I
DEDUCTION FROM FISHING EFFORT FOR THE YEAR 2024 FOR THE STOCK WHICH HAS BEEN OVERFISHED
Overfishing
Deduction to
related to
Initial fishing Adapted Total fishing apply on the
Mem- Effort days adapted
Fishing effort group effort days fishing effort effort days Multiplying fishing effort
ber Stock group Vessel length Vessel type uptake fishing effort
code allocated for days for deployed factor (2) allocation for
State in 2023 (in %) in 2023
2023 2023(1) in 2023 2024 (quantity
(quantity in
in days)
days)
ITA EFF1/MED2_LL3 Hake in GFCM ≥ 18 m and Demersal 26 26 46 176,92 20 2,0 40
geographical < 24 m longliners
subareas 8, 9,
10 and 11
(1) Effort available to a Member State pursuant to the relevant fishing opportunities Regulation after taking into account possible transfer of fishing days, exchanges of fishing opportunities in accordance with
Article 16(8) of 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 (OJ L 354, 28.12.2013, p. 22, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/
2013/1380/oj), as well as deduction of fishing opportunities in accordance with Article 106 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009.
(2) As set out in Article 106(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009.
ELI:
http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2025/713/oj
3/4
OJ
L,
15.4.2025
ENANNEX II
DEDUCTION FROM FISHING EFFORT FOR THE YEAR 2024 TO BE APPLIED ON AN ALTERNATIVE STOCK
Deduction to
Overfishing
apply on the
related to
Initial fishing Adapted Total fishing fishing effort
Mem- Effort days adapted
Fishing effort group effort days fishing effort effort days Multi-plying allocation for
ber Stock group Vessel length Vessel type uptake fishing effort
code allocated for days for deployed factor(2) alternative
State in 2023 (in %) in 2023
2023 2023 (1) in 2023 stock for 2024
(quantity in
(quantity in
days)
days)
ITA EFF4/ME Hake in GFCM T-10 Bottom trawl 188 188 364 193,62 176 2,0 352
D4_OTB2 geographical vessels
subareas 12, 13,
14, 15 and 16
Deduction to be applied on the following stock group
ITA EFF4/ME Hake in GFCM T-11 Bottom trawl / / / / / / 352
D4_OTB3 geographical vessels
subareas 12, 13,
14, 15 and 16
(1) Effort available to a Member State pursuant to the relevant fishing opportunities Regulation after taking into account possible transfer of fishing days, exchanges of fishing opportunities in accordance with
Article 16(8) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, as well as deduction of fishing opportunities in accordance with Article 106 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009.
(2) As set out in Article 106(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009.
4/4
ELI:
http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2025/713/oj
EN
OJ
L,
15.4.2025