Commission Regulation (EC) No 444/2007 of 23 April 2007 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 41/2007 as regards catch limits for the stock of herring in ICES zones I and II

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 41/2007 of 21 December 2006 fixing for 2007 the fishing opportunities and associated conditions for certain fish stocks, and groups of fish stocks, applicable in Community waters and, for Community vessels, in waters where catch limitations are required (1), and in particular Annex IB thereto,

Whereas:

(1) Regulation (EC) No 41/2007 fixes for 2007 the fishing opportunities and associated conditions for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks, applicable in Community waters and, for Community vessels, in waters where catch limitations are required.

(2) Pursuant to consultations between the Community, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Norway and the Russian Federation on 18 January 2007, an agreement on the fishing opportunities for the Atlanto-Scandian (Norwegian spring-spawning) herring stock in the north-east Atlantic was reached. The overall catch limitation for 2007 is fixed at a level of 1 280 000 tonnes in full conformity with the scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES). That agreement should be implemented into Community law.

(3) Regulation (EC) No 41/2007 should therefore be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Annex IB to Regulation (EC) No 41/2007 is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the third day following 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, 23 April 2007.

For the Commission Joe BORG Member of the Commission

(1) OJ L 15, 20.1.2007, p. 1.