Council Regulation (EU) No 1262/2012 of 20 December 2012 fixing for 2013 and 2014 the fishing opportunities for EU vessels for certain deep-sea fish stocks

This Regulation fixes for the years 2013 and 2014 the annual fishing opportunities available to EU vessels for fish stocks of certain deep-sea species in EU waters and in certain non-EU waters where catch limits are required.

1 For the purposes of this Regulation, the following definitions shall apply: (a) ‘EU vessel’ means a fishing vessel flying the flag of a Member State and registered in the Union; (b) ‘EU waters’ means the waters under the sovereignty or jurisdiction of the Member States with the exception of waters adjacent to the territories mentioned in Annex II to the Treaty; (c) ‘total allowable catch’ (TAC) means the quantity that can be taken and landed from each fish stock each year; (d) ‘quota’ means a proportion of the TAC allocated to the Union, a Member State or a third country; (e) ‘international waters’ means waters falling outside the sovereignty or jurisdiction of any State.

2 For the purposes of this Regulation, the following zone definitions shall apply: (a) ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) zones are the geographical areas specified in Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 218/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council ; (b) CECAF (Committee for Eastern Central Atlantic Fisheries) zones are the geographical areas specified in Annex II to Regulation (EC) No 216/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council .

The TACs for deep-sea species caught by EU vessels in EU waters or in certain non-EU waters, the allocation of such TACs among Member States and the conditions functionally linked thereto, where appropriate, are set out in the Annex to this Regulation.

1 The allocation of fishing opportunities among Member States as set out in this Regulation shall be without prejudice to: (a) exchanges made pursuant to Article 20(5) of Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002; (b) deductions and reallocations made pursuant to Article 37 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 or pursuant to Article 10(4) of Council Regulation (EC) No 1006/2008 ; (c) additional landings allowed pursuant to Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 847/96; (d) quantities withheld pursuant to Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 847/96; (e) deductions made pursuant to Articles 105, 106 and 107 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009.

2 Article 3 of Regulation (EC) No 847/96 shall apply to stocks subject to precautionary TAC whereas Article 3(2) and (3) and Article 4 of that Regulation shall apply to stocks subject to analytical TAC, except where otherwise specified in the Annex to this Regulation.

Fish from stocks for which TACs are established shall be retained on board or landed only if the catches have been taken by vessels flying the flag of a Member State having a quota and that quota is not exhausted.

This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union. It shall apply from 1 January 2013.