Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/1281 of 12 June 2026 amending Regulation (EU) 2019/1154 of the European Parliament and of the Council on a multiannual recovery plan for Mediterranean swordfish

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

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

Having regard to Regulation (EU) 2019/1154 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 on a multiannual recovery plan for Mediterranean swordfish and amending Council Regulation (EC) No 1967/2006 and Regulation (EU) 2017/2107 of the European Parliament and of the Council [^ntr1-L_202601281EN.000101-E0001], and in particular Article 34, paragraph 1, points (e), thereof,

Whereas:

• (1) The Union is party to the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), having approved accession to the ICCAT Convention pursuant to Council Decision 86/238/EEC [^ntr2-L_202601281EN.000101-E0002].

• (2) ICCAT adopts measures to ensure the long-term conservation and sustainable use of the fishery resources in the ICCAT Convention area and to safeguard the marine ecosystems in which these resources occur. Such measures may become binding upon the Union.

• (3) ICCAT has adopted, at its 2025 annual meeting, Recommendation 25-09 [^ntr3-L_202601281EN.000101-E0003] on fishing gear employed in the swordfish fishery. In the context of fishing gear, that Recommendation foresees the combined use of loops with the current system of hooks. That measure should be implemented into Union law.

• (4) As the provisions 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,

HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1

In Article 14 of Regulation (EU) 2019/1154, paragraphs 1 and 2 are replaced by the following:

‘1.   The maximum number of combined rigged hooks and loops (a series of concentric rings of increasing size where hooks and/or artificial bait can be placed in the smaller rings and lights can be attached to the larger rings) that may be set by or carried on board fishing vessels targeting Mediterranean swordfish shall be fixed at 2 500.

1. By way of derogation from paragraph 1, a second set of 2 500 combined rigged hooks and loops shall be allowed on board fishing vessels for trips longer than two days provided that it is duly lashed and stowed in lower decks so that it may not readily be used.’

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, 12 June 2026.

For the Commission

The President

Ursula VON DER LEYEN

[^ntr1-L_202601281EN.000101-E0001]: OJ L 188, 12.7.2019, p. 1, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg/2019/1154/oj.

[^ntr2-L_202601281EN.000101-E0002]: Council Decision 86/238/EEC of 9 June 1986 on the accession of the Community to the International Convention for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas, as amended by the Protocol annexed to the Final Act of the Conference of Plenipotentiaries of the States Parties to the Convention signed in Paris on 10 July 1984 (OJ L 162, 18.6.1986, p. 33, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/1986/238/oj).

[^ntr3-L_202601281EN.000101-E0003]: Recommendation 25-09 by ICCAT on the experimental use of traplines, https://www.iccat.int/Documents/Recs/compendiopdf-e/2025-09-e.pdf.

ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2026/1281/oj

ISSN 1977-0677 (electronic edition)