Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2021/860 of 23 March 2021 amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/124 as regards Annex to the conservation and enforcement measures of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (NAFO)

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/833 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2019 laying down conservation and enforcement measures applicable in the Regulatory Area of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation, amending Regulation (EU) 2016/1627 and repealing Council Regulations (EC) No 2115/2005 and (EC) No 1386/2007 (1), and in particular Article 50(1)thereof,

Whereas:

(1) The Union is party to the Convention on Future Multilateral Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries (the NAFO Convention), approved by Council Regulation (EEC) No 3179/78 (2).

(2) The European Parliament and the Council adopted Regulation (EU) 2019/833 in order to incorporate the NAFO conservation and enforcement measures in Union law.

(3) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/124 (3) supplemented Regulation (EU) 2019/833 with a number of NAFO conservation and enforcement measures.

(4) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/989 (4) amended the Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/124 with revised annexes of NAFO adopted at its 2019 annual meeting.

(5) The NAFO at its annual meeting in September 2020 amended Part VI of Annex I.E of its conservation and enforcement measures, related to the list of Vulnerable Marine Ecosystems (VME) indicator species. This annex becomes binding on the Union on 1 December 2020.

(6) These changes should also be incorporated into Union law. Therefore, Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/124 should be amended accordingly,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

The Annex to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/124 is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

This Regulation shall enter into force on the third 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, 23 March 2021.

For the Commission The President Ursula VON DER LEYEN

(1) OJ L 141, 28.5.2019, p. 1.

(2) Council Regulation (EEC) No 3179/78 of 28 December 1978 concerning the conclusion by the European Economic Community of the Convention on Future Multilateral Cooperation in the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries (OJ L 378, 30.12.1978, p. 1).

(3) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/124 of 15 October 2019 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2019/833 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down conservation and enforcement measures applicable in the Regulatory Area of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (OJ L 34 I, 6.2.2020, p. 1).

(4) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/989 of 27 April 2020 amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/124 as regards certain provisions of, and Annexes to, the conservation and enforcement measures of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (NAFO) (OJ L 221, 10.7.2020, p. 5).