(1)

Council Regulation (EU) 2026/249 (1) fixes for 2026, 2027 and 2028 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, the outcomes of consultations with third countries and of meetings of regional fisheries management organisations (RFMOs), and other developments.

(2)

The North-East Atlantic Fisheries Commission (NEAFC) has adopted a recommendation for 2026 (the ‘2026 NEAFC recommendation’) establishing a stock protection reserve of 1 495 tonnes for mackerel (Scomber scombrus) that can be fished by the Russian Federation in international waters of the NEAFC Convention Area. To prevent that reserve from being exceeded, the 2026 NEAFC recommendation includes associated control measures applicable in both the NEAFC Regulatory Area and the waters under the jurisdiction of those NEAFC Contracting Parties that supported the 2026 NEAFC Recommendation. It is therefore appropriate to implement those measures in Union law.

(3)

In 2025, the Union and the United Kingdom held bilateral consultations on the setting of a large number of total allowable catches (TACs) for 2026, including certain measures functionally linked to those TACs, for stocks listed in Annex 35 to 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) (‘Trade and Cooperation Agreement’). The outcome of those consultations was documented in a written record signed by the Heads of Delegation on 10 December 2025. As documented in the written record, the Heads of Delegation agreed to recommend to their respective authorities that the remedial measures for cod (Gadus Morhua), haddock (Melanogrammus aeglefinus) and whiting (Merlangius merlangus) in the Celtic Sea and Irish Sea and for sole (Solea solea) and plaice (Pleuronectes platessa) in the Channel should start applying, in principle, no later than 1 June 2026, in the Union and the United Kingdom alike to ensure level playing field as the stocks in question are jointly managed. That was agreed subject to the Parties having notified the completion of their respective internal procedures required for the adoption of those remedial measures. Council Regulation (EU) 2026/786 (3) deferred the application of the measures for cod and whiting in the Irish Sea and for sole and plaice in the Channel to 1 September 2026 as the United Kingdom had a delay in its internal procedures. Given that the United Kingdom expects further delay in the completion of its internal procedures and in order to ensure level playing field for Union operators vis-à-vis United Kingdom operators, the application of those measures should be deferred to 1 November 2026, pending the completion of relevant internal procedures by the United Kingdom.

(4)

On 19 June 2026, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) published its scientific advice for anchovy (Engraulis encrasicolus) in the western part of ICES division 9a for the period from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. In accordance with the objective of maximum sustainable yield set out in Article 2(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (4) and the principle of basing measures on the best available scientific advice set out in Article 3(c) of that Regulation, the total allowable catches (TAC) for anchovy in the western part of ICES subarea 9 and in ICES subarea 10 for the period from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 should be set at the level advised by ICES.

(5)

On 16 June 2026, the Union and Norway concluded consultations on 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 2026 to 30 June 2027 and on the level of the TAC for Northern prawn in ICES division 3a. The outcome of those consultations was documented in an agreed record signed on 16 June 2026. The TAC for Northern prawn in ICES division 3a should therefore be set at the level agreed with Norway, and the technical measures agreed with Norway in 2025 should be maintained.

(6)

In addition, the Union and Norway considered during those consultations a transfer from Norway to the Union of Northern prawn in Norwegian waters of the North Sea south of 62oN. Since an agreement could not be reached between the Union and Norway on such a transfer, the unallocated fishing opportunities for Northern prawn in Greenland waters of ICES subareas 2, 5, 12 and 14 should now be allocated to Member States. The quotas of the Member States concerned and the corresponding Union quota for Northern prawn in Greenland waters of ICES subareas 2, 5, 12 and 14 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(7)

Between 26 and 28 May 2026, the Union, the United Kingdom and Norway held consultations on the level of the overall fishing opportunities for sprat (Sprattus sprattus) in ICES subarea 4 and ICES division 3a for the period from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 and on the levels of the TACs for sprat in Union and United Kingdom waters of ICES subarea 4 and ICES 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 and further specification endorsed by the Council on 7 May 2026. The outcome of those consultations was documented in an agreed record signed on 28 May 2026. The relevant TACs should therefore be set at the levels agreed with the United Kingdom and Norway.

(8)

Between 11 and 22 May 2026, the Union and the United Kingdom conducted bilateral consultations pursuant to Article 498(2), (4) and (6) of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement on the level of the TAC for sprat in ICES divisions 7d and 7e for the period from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. The Union participated in those consultations on the basis of the Union position and further specification endorsed by the Council on 7 May 2026. The outcome of those consultations was documented in a written record signed on 4 June 2026. The TAC for sprat in ICES divisions 7d and 7e for the period from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 should therefore be set at the level agreed with the United Kingdom.

(9)

Regarding cod (Gadus morhua) in Svalbard waters and international waters of ICES subarea 1 and ICES division 2b, year-to-year flexibility of up to 10 % is applied by other Parties to the 1920 Treaty of Paris relating to Spitsbergen (Svalbard), which grants equal access to the utilisation of resources within the maritime zones surrounding Svalbard, while Regulation (EU) 2026/249 provides that year-to-year flexibility for Member States’ quotas in accordance with Articles 3 and 4 of Council Regulation (EC) No 847/96 (5) does not apply to that stock. It is therefore appropriate to allow Union fishing vessels to use year-to-year flexibility for that TAC.

(10)

Regulation (EU) 2026/249 set the Union and Member States’ quotas for capelin (Mallotus villosus) in Greenland waters of ICES subareas 2, 5, 12 and 14 for the period from 15 October 2025 to 15 April 2026 at the level agreed with Greenland, in accordance with Article 2(1) of the Protocol on the implementation of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union, of the one part, and the Government of Greenland and the Government of Denmark, of the other part (6). However, subsequent to a lack of interest by the Union fishing industry, the Union offered Greenland the possibility to recover those fishing opportunities. Therefore, the Union and Member States’ quotas for capelin in Greenland’s waters of ICES subareas 2, 5, 12 and 14 for the period from 15 October 2025 to 15 April 2026 should be reduced to zero.

(11)

In accordance with Article 11 of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership Agreement between the European Union, of the one part, and the Government of Greenland and the Government of Denmark, of the other part (7), and in line with the conditions set out in Article 6 and Chapter VI of the Protocol to that Agreement, the Union and Greenland agreed to conduct an experimental fishery for cod (Gadus morhua) in Greenland waters of ICES subareas 5 and 14 north-east of 42oW for the period from 12 February 2026 to 31 December 2026. Fishing opportunities of 3 000 tonnes have been set for that experimental fishery, from which 900 tonnes have been allocated to the Union. That Union quota should be set as agreed with Greenland. That Union quota should be allocated equally among the six Member States concerned. However, that allocation should apply only from 12 February to 31 December 2026 and should be without prejudice to any allocation of possible future Union quotas for cod in Greenland Waters in ICES subareas 5 and 14, north-east of 42oW.

(12)

On 12 June 2026, Canada adopted a catch limit for its vessels fishing for cod in divisions 2J, 3K and 3L of the Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organisation (NAFO) Convention Area for the period from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027. On 15 June 2026, NAFO adopted a TAC for that stock and that period, of which an allocation corresponding to 5 % of the TAC was made to the other NAFO Contracting Parties, including a Union quota, to be fished in the NAFO Regulatory Area. The TAC for that stock for the period from 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027 should therefore be set accordingly. In addition, it is appropriate to roll over for that period the current closure period established by NAFO.

(13)

At its annual meeting in November 2025, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) adopted Recommendation 25-04 establishing a multiannual management plan for bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) in the eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean. Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/497 (8) implemented that Recommendation into Union law. That Recommendation includes, inter alia, a revision of the amount of unused bluefin tuna quota that can be carried over from one year to the next. Delegated Regulation (EU) 2026/497 entered into force on 14 May 2026. As a consequence, Member States are able to request to transfer a maximum of 20 % of their annual quota of bluefin tuna in the ICCAT Convention area east of 45oW from the preceding year to the following year. For 2026, Greece, Spain, France, Croatia, Italy, Cyprus, Malta and Portugal requested such transfers from 2025. On the basis of those requests, the Commission submitted a revised Union annual plan to the ICCAT Secretariat, pursuant to Article 11(5) of Regulation (EU) 2023/2053 of the European Parliament and of the Council (9). Therefore, the quotas of those Member States for bluefin tuna in the ICCAT Convention area east of 45oW for 2026 should be amended accordingly.

(14)

Pursuant to Article 15(7) of Regulation (EU) 2023/2053, certain Member States submitted to the Commission revised farming management plans for bluefin tuna in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean. The Member States’ maximum of wild-caught bluefin tuna into farms and the farming capacity should therefore be amended in line with those plans, as transmitted to the ICCAT Secretariat.

(15)

At its 2026 annual meeting, the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC) adopted revised catch limits for skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) in the IOTC Area of Competence for 2026. The Union and Member States’ quotas for that stock for 2026 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(16)

At its annual meeting in April 2026, the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC) established catch limits for chub mackerel (Scomber japonicus) and blue mackerel (Scomber australasicus) available to all NPFC Contracting Parties for trawlers and purse seiners for the period from 1 June 2026 to 31 December 2026. In addition, the NPFC established an additional amount of those stocks 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 those catch limits for all NPFC Contracting Parties could not have been established and the fishing opportunities for chub mackerel and blue 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.

(17)

Council Regulation (EU) 2025/2454 (10) fixes for 2026 fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks applicable in the Baltic Sea. Due to serious uncertainties about the condition and the future development of the stock, that Regulation sets a TAC for herring (Clupea harengus) in ICES divisions 30 and 31 (Gulf of Bothnia) for 2026 covering the period from 1 January to 31 October 2026. In accordance with Article 3(4) and Article 5(1) of Regulation (EU) 2016/1139 of the European Parliament and of the Council (11), it is appropriate to set the TAC for Bothnian herring for 2026 on the basis of the ICES advice of 28 May 2025 for that stock for 2026 and in line with the reduced lowest value within the range of FMSY, and taking into account the latest scientific information contained in the ICES technical service of 10 June 2026.

(18)

Regulations (EU) 2026/249 and (EU) 2025/2454 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(19)

In order to maintain the reporting periods for the TACs amended by this Regulation, and given that some of those TACs apply from 1 January 2026, the amended TACs should apply retroactively from that date. Such retroactive application does not affect the principles of legal certainty and protection of legitimate expectations, as the TACs concerned are maintained or increased.

(20)

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)

in Article 1(2), point (d) is replaced by the following:

;

(2)

in Article 4, the following points are inserted:

(*1)   OJ L 227, 12.8.1981, p. 22, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/convention/1981/608/oj. The Union approved the Convention on future multilateral cooperation in North-East Atlantic fisheries by Council Decision 81/608/EEC of 13 July 1981 concerning the conclusion of the Convention on Future Multilateral Cooperation in the North-East Atlantic Fisheries (OJ L 227, 12.8.1981, p. 21, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec/1981/608/oj).’;"

(3)

in Chapter III, the following section is inserted:

(4)

Article 62(2) is amended as follows:

(5)

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