(1)

Council Regulation (EU) 2025/202 (1) fixes for 2025 and 2026 the fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks, applicable in Union waters and, for Union fishing vessels, in certain non-Union waters. Those fishing opportunities, including certain measures functionally linked thereto, should be amended to take into account the publication of scientific advice, as well as the outcomes of consultations with third countries and regional fisheries management organisations meetings.

(2)

Regulation (EU) 2025/202 provisionally set at zero the total allowable catches (TAC) for anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) in the western part of International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) subarea 9 and in subarea 10 for the period from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026, pending the publication by ICES of its scientific advice for anchovy in the western part of ICES division 9a for that period. To allow fishing to continue until the definitive TAC for that stock is set, a provisional TAC for the period from 1 July to 30 September 2025 should be set, at a level based on Member States’ landings of that stock in the period from 1 July 2023 to 30 June 2024, taking into account the seasonality of the fishery.

(3)

On 23 June 2025, the Union and Norway concluded consultations on: (i) the level of the overall fishing opportunities for Northern prawn (Pandalus borealis) in ICES divisions 3a and 4a east for the period from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026; (ii) the level of the TAC for Northern prawn in ICES division 3a; and (iii) additional technical measures for that stock. The outcome of those consultations was documented in an Agreed Record signed on 23 June 2025. The TAC for Northern prawn in ICES division 3a should therefore be set at the level agreed with Norway, and the additional technical measures agreed with Norway should be established. The functionally linked additional technical measures should only apply until the relevant delegated act becomes applicable. In addition, the Union and Norway considered during those consultations exchanges of Northern prawn in Norwegian waters of the North Sea south of 62o N from Norway to the Union. Since it was not possible for the Union and Norway to agree on additional transfers of Northern prawn in the North Sea, the unallocated fishing opportunities for Northern prawn in Greenland waters of ICES subareas 5 and 14 should be allocated to Member States. The Member States’ quotas for Northern prawn in Greenland waters of ICES subareas 5 and 14 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(4)

On 21 May 2025, the Union, the United Kingdom and Norway held consultations on: (i) the level of the overall fishing opportunities for sprat (Sprattus sprattus) in ICES subarea 4 and division 3a for the period from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026; and (ii) the levels of the TACs for sprat in Union and United Kingdom waters of ICES subarea 4 and division 2a and in Union and Norwegian waters of ICES division 3a for that period. The Union participated in those consultations on the basis of the Union position endorsed by the Council on 12 May 2025. The outcome of those consultations was documented in an Agreed Record signed on 21 May 2025. The relevant TACs should therefore be set at the levels agreed with the United Kingdom and Norway.

(5)

On 12 May 2025, the Union and the United Kingdom conducted bilateral consultations pursuant to Article 498(2), (4) and (6) of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, of the one part, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, of the other part (2), on the level of the TAC for sprat in ICES divisions 7d and 7e for the period from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026. The Union participated in those consultations on the basis of the Union position endorsed by the Council on 8 May 2025. The outcome of those consultations was documented in a Written Record signed on 22 May 2025. The TAC for sprat in ICES divisions 7d and 7e for the period from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026 should therefore be set at the level agreed with the United Kingdom.

(6)

Regulation (EU) 2025/202 provisionally set the TAC for red seabream (Pagellus bogaraveo) in Union and international waters of ICES subarea 10 for the period from 1 January to 30 June 2025 at the level of 280 tonnes, pending the publication by ICES of its revised scientific advice for that stock for 2025. Following the publication of that revised ICES advice for 2025, which replaces the advice of 9 June 2023 for that stock for 2024 and 2025, a definitive TAC for red seabream in Union and international waters of ICES subarea 10 for 2025 should therefore be set based on that revised advice.

(7)

On 18 June 2025, Canada adopted a catch limit for its vessels fishing for cod (Gadus morhua) in Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (NAFO) divisions 2J, 3K and 3L for the period from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026. Subsequently, on 23 June 2025, NAFO adopted a TAC for that stock and that period, and an allocation to other NAFO Contracting Parties corresponding to 5 % of the TAC, including a Union quota, to be fished in the NAFO Regulatory Area. In addition, NAFO maintained the recovery measures for that stock for that period. Those measures should be implemented in Union law.

(8)

On 1 April 2025, and in accordance with the applicable International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) rules concerning transfers, Iceland agreed to transfer to the Union 200 tonnes of its quota for bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) in part of the ICCAT Convention area, in the Atlantic Ocean, east of 45o W, and the Mediterranean, for 2025. That transfer should be implemented in Union law and the Union quota for that stock should be amended accordingly.

(9)

At its 2025 annual meeting, the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC) established catch limits for chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) available to all NPFC Contracting Parties for trawlers and purse seiners respectively for the period from 1 June 2025 to 31 May 2026. In addition, the NPFC established an additional amount of that stock for the Union for that same period. It also established associated effort limits. Moreover, the NPFC established measures functionally linked to those catch limits and to that additional amount, without which: (i) those catch limits for all NPFC Contracting Parties could not have been established; and (ii) the fishing opportunities for chub mackerel in the NPFC Convention area would have to be reduced to protect the non-target species. Those fishing opportunities and functionally linked measures should be implemented in Union law.

(10)

In order to reproduce, the European eel (Anguilla anguilla) that is sexually mature (‘silver eel’) has to migrate from inland, brackish or marine Union waters to its spawning grounds in the Sargasso Sea (‘downstream migration’). Article 13(3) of Regulation (EU) 2025/202 protects such eels by obliging the Member States concerned to determine one or more closure periods of at least 6 months for commercial fishing activities of European eel (Anguilla anguilla) in Union waters of ICES subareas 3, 4, 6, 7, 8 and 9 (north-east Atlantic), subject to certain conditions. In order to uphold the conservation objective of the closure period or periods pursuant to Article 13 of Regulation (EU) 2025/202, the Member States concerned may assist migrating silver eels on their downstream migration before passing through non-Union brackish waters, where they risk being caught and landed. The Member States concerned should therefore have the possibility to allow fishing for silver eels of an overall length of 12 cm or more in Union waters upstream of non-Union brackish waters during the main migration period, provided that this is done for the exclusive purpose of transporting and promptly releasing such eels unharmed into nearby downstream Union marine waters at a designated place. Incidentally caught eels that are not sexually mature should be immediately released unharmed back into the water.

(11)

Regulation (EU) 2025/202 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(12)

Given that provisions should apply on a continuous basis, and in order to avoid legal uncertainty in the period between the end of application of the previously applicable provisions and the date of entry into force of this Regulation, the provisions of this Regulation should apply as from the end of the previously applicable provisions. Such retroactive application does not affect the principles of legal certainty and protection of legitimate expectations, as the fishing opportunities concerned are increased and, as regards eel, an additional derogation to the closure period or periods is established.

(13)

Regulation (EU) 2025/202 applies from 1 January 2025. In order to maintain the reporting period for the TAC for red seabream in EU and international waters of ICES subarea 10, the amended TACs should also apply from 1 January 2025. Such retroactive application does not affect the principles of legal certainty and protection of legitimate expectations, as the quotas are increased.

(14)

Given the urgency of avoiding interruptions to fishing activities, this Regulation should enter into force on the date of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union,

(1)

Article 13 is amended as follows:

(2)

the following Article is inserted:

(*2)  Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/2201 of 1 October 2019 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2019/1241 of the European Parliament and of the Council with detailed rules for the implementation of real-time closures for Northern prawn fisheries in the Skagerrak (OJ L 332, 23.12.2019, p. 3, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2019/2201/oj).’;"

(3)

in Article 63, the following point is inserted:

;

(4)

Annex IA, Parts A, B and F, and Annexes IB, IC, ID and IM are amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.