Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1915

Contents

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/1241 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on the conservation of fisheries resources and the protection of marine ecosystems through technical measures, amending Council Regulations (EC) No 1967/2006, (EC) No 1224/2009 and Regulations (EU) No 1380/2013, (EU) 2016/1139, (EU) 2018/973, (EU) 2019/472 and (EU) 2019/1022 of the European Parliament and of the Council, and repealing Council Regulations (EC) No 894/97, (EC) No 850/98, (EC) No 2549/2000, (EC) No 254/2002, (EC) No 812/2004 and (EC) No 2187/2005^note, and in particular Article 2(2) and Article 15(2) thereof,Whereas:

(1)Regulation (EU) 2019/1241 lays down specific technical measures for Union waters. Annex VI thereto provides for regional technical measures in the North Western Waters and Annex VII in the South Western Waters.

(2)Article 18(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council^note provides that Member States having a direct management interest in Union conservation measures applying to a particular geographical region, may submit joint recommendations for achieving the objectives of those measures.

(3)Belgium, Spain, France, the Netherlands and Portugal (the ‘South Western Waters Member States Regional Group’), and Belgium, Spain, France, Ireland and the Netherlands (the ‘North Western Waters Member States Regional Group’) have a direct fisheries management interest in the South Western and the North Western Waters respectively.

(4)On 3 July 2026, the South Western Waters Member States Regional Group and the North Western Waters Member States Regional Group submitted a joint recommendation proposing to prolong until 31 December 2027 the measures that have applied since July 2022 to red seabream (Pagellus bogaraveo) in ICES subareas 6 to 8, concerning commercial and recreational fisheries. The proposed measures include: (i) a minimum conservation reference size of 36 cm for red seabream for commercial fisheries in ICES subareas 6 to 8; (ii) a closure for vessels flying the French flag in those areas from 1 January until 30 June; and (iii) a closure on a seasonal basis for commercial fisheries and a closure all year for recreational fisheries in specific geographical areas of ICES subarea 8.

(5)The Expert Group on Fisheries and Aquaculture was consulted on 10 July 2026.

(6)The Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (‘STECF’) in 2021 assessed the measures that have applied to red seabream since July 2022 and concluded that they have the potential to reduce catches of red seabream, and therefore they contribute to achieving the objectives set out in Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013.

(7)Given, first, that STECF conclusion, second, that data for that stock continues to be scarce and ICES has issued a zero-catch advice for 2027, and, third, that the measures concerned are more stringent than the baseline measures that applied to red seabream in ICES subareas 6 to 8 before the adoption of the measures whose prolongation is sought, the Commission considers that the requirements set out in Article 15(4) of Regulation (EU) 2019/1241 are fulfilled.

(8)The two empowerments provided for in Articles 2(2) and 15(2) of Regulation (EU) 2019/1241, respectively for recreational and commercial fisheries, and on which this Regulation is based, are, for all those measures, substantively linked, within the meaning of point 31 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 13 April 2016 on Better Law-Making^note. Indeed, all those technical measures aim to contribute to the conservation of fishing resources in a particular region, they are all proposed in the same joint recommendation submitted by the Member States with a direct management interest in the same region, and all aim at amending annexes of the same legislative act.

(9)As the measures provided for in this Regulation have a direct impact on the planning of the fishing season of Union vessels and on related economic activities, this Regulation should enter into force as soon as possible.

(10)Since the measures to be prolonged expire on 31 December 2026, this Regulation should apply from 1 January 2027 in order to ensure legal continuity.

(11)The measures introduced by this Regulation applicable to Union waters are in pursuit of the objectives set out in Article 494(1) and (2) of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the other part^note and have regard to the principles referred to in Article 494(3) of that Agreement. They are without prejudice to any measures applicable in waters of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

(12)Regulation (EU) 2019/1241 should therefore be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: