(1)

Council Regulation (EU) No 53/2010 of 14 January 2010 fixing for 2010 the fishing opportunities for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks, applicable in EU waters and, for EU vessels, in waters where catch limitations are required and amending Regulations (EC) No 1359/2008, (EC) No 754/2009, (EC) No 1226/2009 and (EC) No 1287/2009 (2), fixes the amount of bluefin tuna which may be fished in 2010 in the Atlantic Ocean, east of longitude 45° W, and the Mediterranean Sea by European Union fishing vessels.

(2)

Council Regulation (EC) No 302/2009 of 6 April 2009 concerning a multiannual recovery plan for bluefin tuna in the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean, amending Regulation (EC) No 43/2009 and repealing Regulation (EC) No 1559/2007 (3), requires Member States to inform the Commission of the individual quota allocated to their vessels over 24 metres.

(3)

The Common Fisheries Policy is designed to ensure the long-term viability of the fisheries sector through sustainable exploitation of living aquatic resources based on the precautionary approach.

(4)

In accordance with Article 36(2) of Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009, on the basis of information to be provided by Member States or on its own initiative, where the Commission finds that fishing opportunities available to the European Union, a Member State or group of Member States are deemed to have been exhausted, the Commission shall inform the Member States concerned thereof and shall prohibit fishing activities for the respective area, gear, stock, group of stocks or fleet involved in those specific fishing activities.

(5)

The information in the Commission's possession indicates that the fishing opportunities for bluefin tuna in the Atlantic Ocean, east of longitude 45° W, and the Mediterranean Sea allocated to purse seiners flying the flag of or registered in France or Greece will be deemed to be exhausted on 9 June 2010.

(6)

It is therefore necessary that the Commission prohibits as from 10 June 2010, 00h00, the fishing for bluefin tuna in the Atlantic Ocean, east of longitude 45° W and the Mediterranean Sea by purse seiners flying the flag of or registered in France or Greece,

(1)

The representative prices and additional duties applicable to imports of white sugar, raw sugar and certain syrups for the 2009/10 marketing year are fixed by Commission Regulation (EC) No 877/2009 (3). These prices and duties have been last amended by Commission Regulation (EU) No 496/2010 (4).

(2)

The data currently available to the Commission indicate that those amounts should be amended in accordance with the rules and procedures laid down in Regulation (EC) No 951/2006,

(1)

The Food Aid Convention 1999 was concluded on behalf of the European Community by Council Decision 2000/421/EC (1) and extended by decisions of the Food Aid Committee in June 2003, June 2005, June 2007, June 2008 and June 2009 so as to remain in force until 30 June 2010.

(2)

The Grains Trade Convention 1995 remains in force until 30 June 2011.

(3)

The Food Aid Convention 1999 expires on 30 June 2010 and the question of its renewal will be formally addressed at the 102nd Session of the Food Aid Committee on 4 June 2010.

(4)

At the 101st Session of the Food Aid Committee, on 9 December 2009, some members expressed their willingness to extend the Food Aid Convention 1999 for another year until 30 June 2011. The European Union took the position that it would work towards taking a decision in June 2010 as to the future of the Food Aid Convention 1999 and that preparations could be started immediately without any prejudice to the formal position that would be communicated at the 102nd Session of the Food Aid Committee in June 2010.

(5)

There are two possible scenarios for which the European Union should prepare a position in view of the 102nd Session of the Food Aid Committee:

(6)

The Commission, which represents the European Union in the Food Aid Committee, should therefore be authorised by a Council Decision to either favour an extension of the Food Aid Convention 1999 for one year, i.e. until 30 June 2011, if the condition set out in paragraph 5(a) is met, or, if that is not the case, oppose a consensus in the Food Aid Committee favouring such an extension,

(1)

Pursuant to Article 6(1) of Joint Action 2008/851/CFSP, the Council authorised the Political and Security Committee (PSC) to take decisions on the appointment of the EU Operation Commander.

(2)

The United Kingdom has proposed that Major-General Buster HOWE replace Rear-Admiral Peter HUDSON as EU Operation Commander.

(3)

The EU Military Committee supports that recommendation.

(4)

In accordance with Article 5 of Protocol (No 22) on the position of Denmark, annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, Denmark does not participate in the elaboration and the implementation of decisions and actions of the Union which have defence implications,

(1)

Regulation (EC) No 732/2008 provides for the granting of a special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance to developing countries which satisfy the requirements established under its Articles 8 and 9.

(2)

Any developing country wishing to avail itself of the special incentive arrangement as of 1 July 2010 had to submit a request to that effect by 30 April 2010, accompanied by comprehensive information concerning ratification of the relevant conventions, the legislation and measures to implement effectively the provisions of the conventions and its commitment to accept and comply fully with the monitoring and review mechanism envisaged in the relevant conventions and related instruments. To be granted the request, the requesting country also has to be considered to be a vulnerable country as defined in Article 8(2) of Regulation (EC) No 732/2008.

(3)

By 30 April 2010, the Commission received a request from the Republic of Panama (hereinafter Panama) to benefit from the special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance as from 1 July 2010.

(4)

The request has been examined in accordance with the provisions of Article 10(1) of Regulation (EC) No 732/2008.

(5)

The examination showed that Panama fulfils all the necessary requirements of Article 8 and 9 of Regulation (EC) No 732/2008. Accordingly, the special incentive arrangement should be granted to Panama from 1 July 2010 to 31 December 2011.

(6)

Pursuant to Article 10(3) of Regulation (EC) No 732/2008, this Decision is to be notified to Panama.

(7)

The measures provided for in this Decision are in accordance with the opinion of the Generalised Preferences Committee.

(8)

This decision does not affect the beneficiary status under the arrangement of any country listed in Commission Decision 2008/938/EC of 9 December 2008 on the list of the beneficiary countries which qualify for the special incentive arrangement for sustainable development and good governance, provided for in Council Regulation (EC) No 732/2008 applying a scheme of generalised tariff preferences for the period from 1 January 2009 to 31 December 2011 (2),