Date: 2025-12-30Category: Not ApplicableState: Union GovernmentCountry: Europe
Commission Regulation (EU) 2025/2662 of 22 December 2025 establishing a fisheries closure for Mediterranean albacore in the Mediterranean Sea for vessels flying the flag of or registered in Italy
Issued by European Commission
· Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
**Executive Summary**
Commission Regulation (EU) 2025/2662, dated 22 December 2025, establishes a fisheries closure for Mediterranean albacore in the Mediterranean Sea for vessels flying the flag of or registered in Italy. This regulation is enacted because Italy has exhausted its 2025 quota for this stock. The regulation enters into force the day after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Quota Exhaustion:**
* Italy's 2025 fishing quota for Mediterranean albacore in the Mediterranean Sea (ALB/MED - area 15/TQ202) is deemed exhausted as of 5 December 2025.
* **Prohibitions:**
* Fishing activities for Mediterranean albacore by vessels flying the flag of or registered in Italy are prohibited from 5 December 2025.
* It is prohibited for these vessels to retain on board, relocate, tranship, or land Mediterranean albacore caught after this date.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Italian Fishing Vessels**
* **Impact:** Prohibition of fishing activities for Mediterranean albacore in the Mediterranean Sea. Loss of income and activity related to this stock.
* **Action Required:** Cease all fishing activities for Mediterranean albacore in the Mediterranean Sea. Do not retain, relocate, tranship, or land any Mediterranean albacore caught after 5 December 2025.
**Stakeholder: European Commission**
* **Impact:** Responsible for enforcing the regulation and monitoring compliance by Italian fishing vessels.
* **Action Required:** Ensure the regulation is properly implemented and enforced. Monitor Italian fishing activities and take appropriate action in case of violations.
**Stakeholder: Italy**
* **Impact:** Required to ensure compliance and monitor the fleet.
* **Action Required:** Ensure the regulation is properly implemented and enforced. Monitor fishing activities and take appropriate action in case of violations.
Key Entities Referenced
COMMISSION REGULATION (EU) 2025/2662: A regulation establishing a fisheries closure for Mediterranean albacore in the Mediterranean Sea for vessels flying the flag of or registered in Italy.
Mediterranean Sea: The location in which fishing activities for Mediterranean albacore are regulated.
Italy: The member state to which the fishing closure specifically applies.
Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009: Regulation establishing a Union control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the common fisheries policy.
Council Regulation (EU) 2025/202: Regulation that lays down quotas for 2025.
Official Journal EN
of the European Union L series
2025/2662 30.12.2025
COMMISSION REGULATION(EU) 2025/2662
of 22 December 2025
establishing a fisheries closure for Mediterranean albacore in the Mediterranean Sea for vessels
flying the flag of or registered in Italy
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 2009 establishing 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 36(2) thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Council Regulation (EU) 2025/202(2)lays down quotas for 2025.
(2) According to the information received by the Commission, catches of the stock of Mediterranean albacore in the
Mediterranean Sea by vessels flying the flag of or registered in Italy have exhausted that quota for 2025.
(3) It is therefore necessary to prohibit certain fishing activities for that stock,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:
Article 1
Quota exhaustion
The fishing quota allocated to Italy for 2025 for the stock of Mediterranean albacore in the Mediterranean Sea referred to in
the Annex shall be deemed to be exhausted from the date set out in that Annex.
Article 2
Prohibitions
Fishing activities for the stock referred to in Article 1 by vessels flying the flag of or registered in Italy shall be prohibited
from the date set out in the Annex. In particular it shall be prohibited to retain on board, relocate, tranship or land fish
from that stock caught by those vessels after that date.
(1) OJ L 343, 22.12.2009, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2009/1224/oj.
(2) Council Regulation (EU) 2025/202 of 30 January 2025 fixing for 2025 and 2026 the fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks,
applicable in Union waters and, for Union fishing vessels, in certain non-Union waters, and amending Regulation (EU) 2024/257 as
regards fishing opportunities for 2025 (OJ L, 2025/202, 31.1.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2025/202/oj).
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2025/2662/oj 1/3EN
OJ L, 30.12.2025
Article 3
Entry into force
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, 22 December 2025.
For the Commission,
On behalf of the President,
Costas KADIS
Member of the Commission
2/3 ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2025/2662/ojEN
OJ L, 30.12.2025
ANNEX
No 15/TQ202
Member State Italy
Stock ALB/MED
Species Mediterranean Albacore (Thunnus alalunga)
Zone Mediterranean Sea
Closing date 5.12.2025
ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2025/2662/oj 3/3