Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2025/274 of 12 February 2025 laying down detailed rules for the application of Article 55 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 on the control of recreational fisheries

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

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

Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 of 20 November 2009 establishing a Union control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the common fisheries policy amending Regulations (EC) No 847/96, (EC) No 2371/2002, (EC) No 811/2004, (EC) No 768/2005, (EC) No 2115/2005, (EC) No 2166/2005, (EC) No 388/2006, (EC) No 509/2007, (EC) No 676/2007, (EC) No 1098/2007, (EC) No 1300/2008, (EC) No 1342/2008, and repealing Regulations (EEC) No 2847/93, (EC) No 1627/94 and (EC) No 1966/2006 ¹, in particular Article 55(6) thereof,

Whereas:

• (1) Article 55 of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 (‘the Control Regulation’), as amended by Regulation (EU) 2023/2842 of the European Parliament and of the Council ², provides for rules on the control of recreational fisheries in particular the collection of catch data from certain recreational fisheries. The enforcement of conservation measures applicable to recreational fisheries requires the establishment of appropriate control measures.

• (2) In accordance with Article 55(2) of the Control Regulation, coastal Member States are to collect data on catches by natural persons engaged in recreational fisheries for certain species, stocks, or groups of stocks through data collection mechanisms based on a methodology determined by each coastal Member State and notified to the Commission.

• (3) In accordance with Article 55(3) of the Control Regulation, coastal Member States are to ensure that recreational fishers report their catches for certain species, stocks, or groups of stocks through an electronic system referred to in Article 55(1) of that Regulation.

• (4) It is therefore appropriate to provide for detailed rules on the submission to the Commission of catch data on recreational fisheries by Member States in aggregated format to ensure comparability of the data submitted and to enable effective management and control of recreational fisheries.

• (5) To fight illegal fishing and to reduce the impact of abandoned, lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear on marine life and ecosystems in line with the objectives of Directive (EU) 2019/904 of the European Parliament and of the Council ³, and in accordance with Article 55(6) of the Control Regulation, detailed rules should be established for marking gear used in recreational fisheries that is not handheld. Such gears are mainly passive gear e.g. nets, longlines, traps, pots and creels. These rules should ensure that the fishing gear can be traced back to the physical or legal person who is using or owning it, and that the presence of a fishing gear is indicated to others.

• (6) Articles 64 and 65 of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 404/2011 ⁴ on the control of recreational fisheries are superseded by this Regulation, which provides for new rules on the situations provided in those provisions.

• (7) As Article 55 of the Control Regulation as amended by Regulation (EU) 2023/2842 is applicable from 10 January 2026, this regulation should apply from the same date.

• (8) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

Definition

For the purposes of this Regulation, ‘passive gear’ means gear used in recreational fisheries that is not handheld, as provided for in the third, fourth and fifth rows of Annex I.

Article 2

Submission of catch data collected under Article 55(2) of the Control Regulation

• (a) the quantities of each species with the FAO alpha-3 code, if applicable by stock or group of stocks, caught and retained in the preceding calendar year, in tonnes live-weight equivalent and, if relevant the number of individuals,

• — per geographical area,

• — per category of fishing mode,

• — per type of fishing gear, and

• — per length if relevant;

• (b) the number of individuals of each species with the FAO alpha-3 code, if applicable by stock or group of stocks, caught and released in the preceding calendar year, and when possible the estimated quantities in tonnes live-weight equivalent,

• — per geographical area,

• — per category of fishing mode,

• — per type of fishing gear, and

• — per length if relevant.

For the purpose of this submission, the fishing gear shall be identified according to the types listed in Annex I and the fishing mode according to the categories listed in Annex II.

For the purpose of this submission, the relevant geographical area in which the species were caught shall correspond to the territory of the coastal Member State and the waters under its sovereignty or jurisdiction, at least per ICES division and subdivisions as specified in Annex III to Regulation (EC) No 218/2009 of the European Parliament and of the Council ⁶ or, if applicable, the GFCM geographical subareas set out in Annex I to Regulation (EU) 2023/2124 of the European Parliament and of the Council ⁷. Where these ICES and GFCM geographical areas do not apply, the FAO fishing areas system shall be used at the most detailed level available.

Article 3

Submission of catch data collected under Article 55(3) of the Control Regulation

• (a) the quantities of each species with the FAO alpha-3 code, if applicable by stock or group of stocks, caught and retained in the preceding month, in tonnes live-weight equivalent and if relevant the number of individuals,

• — per geographical area,

• — per category of fishing mode,

• — per type of fishing gear, and

• — per length if relevant;

• (b) the number of individuals of each species with the FAO alpha-3 code, if applicable by stock or group of stocks, caught and released in the preceding month, and when possible the estimated quantities in tonnes live-weight equivalent,

• — per geographical area,

• — per category of fishing mode,

• — per type of fishing gear, and

• — per length if relevant.

For the purpose of this submission, the fishing gear shall be identified according to the types listed in Annex I and the fishing mode according to the categories listed in Annex II.

For the purpose of this submission, the relevant geographical area in which the species were caught shall correspond to the territory of the coastal Member State and the waters under its sovereignty or jurisdiction, at least by ICES statistical rectangle, or if applicable the equivalent GFCM geographical unit. Where these ICES and GFCM geographical areas do not apply, the FAO fishing areas system shall be used at the most detailed level available.

Article 4

Marking of passive gear used by recreational fisheries

• (a) for nets, on labels attached to the upper first row and for buoy(s) at the end(s) of the net on labels or directly marked on the buoy(s);

• (b) for longlines, on labels attached to the line and at the point of contact with the mooring buoy(s) or directly marked on the mooring buoy(s);

• (c) for traps, pots, creels and fyke nets, on labels attached to the gear and for buoy(s) on labels or directly marked on the buoy(s).

The marking of passive gear used for recreational fisheries shall be securely fixed, not removable and made of durable materials.

Article 5

Amendment to Implementing Regulation (EU) No 404/2011

Articles 64 and 65 of Implementing Regulation (EU) No 404/2011 are deleted.

Article 6

Entry into force and application

This Regulation shall enter into force on the twentieth day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

It shall apply from 10 January 2026.

This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.

Done at Brussels, 12 February 2025.

For the Commission

The President

Ursula VON DER LEYEN

ANNEX I

TYPES OF FISHING GEAR USED FOR RECREATIONAL FISHERIES

ANNEX II

CATEGORIES OF FISHING MODE FOR RECREATIONAL FISHERIES

ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_impl/2025/274/oj

ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)