Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1609 of 1 June 2023 correcting Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/118 establishing fisheries conservation measures for the protection of the marine environment in the North Sea

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

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

Having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013 on the Common Fisheries Policy, amending Council Regulations (EC) No 1954/2003 and (EC) No 1224/2009 and repealing Council Regulations (EC) No 2371/2002 and (EC) No 639/2004 and Council Decision 2004/585/EC (1) and in particular Article 11(2) thereof,

Whereas:

(1) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/118 (2) establishes conservation measures for the protection of the marine environment in certain areas of the North Sea. This Regulation was last amended by Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/340 (3).

(2) On 22 February 2023, Germany informed the Commission of an error in Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/340. It concerns a sentence contained in the joint recommendation that was not transposed into Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/340, namely the fact that fisheries conservation measures in the central and eastern areas of the Sylter Aussenriff [areas 1(10)] are to take effect on 1 May 2023.

(3) On 28 February 2023, Germany informed the Commission of additional technical errors in the Annex to the Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/340, as regards the designation of the Dutch Exclusive Economic Zone and the geographical coordinates of the seaward separation line between the German and Dutch Exclusive Economic Zones.

(4) Therefore, Article 3(1) and Annexes I and VI to Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/118, should be corrected accordingly.

(5) As the corrections provided in this act have a direct impact on the fishing activities in the areas subject to fisheries conservation measures, this Regulation should enter into force immediately upon publication,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/118 is corrected as follows:

(2) Annexes I and VI are corrected as set out in the Annex to this Regulation.

Article 2

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, 1 June 2023.

For the Commission The President Ursula VON DER LEYEN

(1) OJ L 354, 28.12.2013, p. 22.

(2) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/118 of 5 September 2016 establishing fisheries conservation measures for the protection of the marine environment in the North Sea (OJ L 19, 25.1.2017, p. 10).

(3) Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/340 of 8 December 2022 amending Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/118 as regards conservation measures in Sylter Aussenriff, Borkum-Riffgrund, Doggerbank and Östliche Deutsche Bucht, and in Klaverbank, Friese Front and Centrale Oestergronden (OJ L 48, 16.2.2023, p. 18).