(1)

Article 43(3) of the Treaty provides that the Council is to adopt measures on the fixing and allocation of fishing opportunities, on a proposal from the Commission.

(2)

Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) requires that conservation measures be adopted taking into account available scientific, technical and economic advice including, where relevant, reports drawn up by the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (‘STECF’) and other advisory bodies, as well as in the light of any advice received from Advisory Councils.

(3)

It is incumbent upon the Council to adopt measures on the fixing and allocation of fishing opportunities, including certain conditions functionally linked thereto, as appropriate. Fishing opportunities should be allocated to Member States in such a way as to ensure the relative stability of fishing activities of each Member State for each stock or fishery and having due regard to the objectives of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) set out in Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013.

(4)

The total allowable catches (TACs) should therefore be established, in line with Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, on the basis of the available scientific advice, taking into account biological and socioeconomic aspects whilst ensuring fair treatment between fishing sectors, as well as in the light of the opinions expressed during the consultation with stakeholders.

(5)

The fishing opportunities for stocks subject to specific multiannual plans should be established in accordance with the rules laid down in those plans. Consequently, catch limits for the cod stocks in the Baltic Sea should be established in accordance with the rules laid down in Council Regulation (EC) No 1098/2007 (2).

(6)

Due to changes in the biology of the eastern cod stock, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (‘ICES’) has not been able to establish the biological reference points for cod stocks in ICES subdivisions 25-32, and instead advised that the TAC for that cod stock be based on the data limited approach. The absence of biological reference points made it impossible to follow the rules for fixing and allocating the fishing opportunities for cod stock in those subdivisions set out in Regulation (EC) No 1098/2007. As no fixing and allocating fishing opportunities could seriously threaten the sustainability of the cod stock, it is appropriate, in order to contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the CFP as defined in Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, to fix the TAC on the basis of the data limited approach, at a level corresponding to the approach developed and advised by ICES.

(7)

Due to a new approach by ICES to scientific advice for the purpose of fixing of fishing opportunities for cod in subdivisions 22-24, it is appropriate to apply a step-wise approach to reducing fishing opportunities.

(8)

In the light of the latest scientific advice, in order to protect the spawning grounds of western cod, it is appropriate to fix fishing opportunities outside the spawning periods (15 February-31 March 2016, and thus not in the month of April, as previously applicable). Such fixing of fishing opportunities will contribute to the positive development of the stock and thus to the achievements of the objectives of the CFP as defined in Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013.

(9)

Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 sets the objective of the CFP to achieve the maximum sustainable yield exploitation rate by 2015 where possible and, on a progressive, incremental basis at the latest by 2020 for all stocks. Since achieving that exploitation rate by 2016 would have serious consequences for the social and economic sustainability of the fleets fishing on the stocks of sprat and herring, it is acceptable to reach that exploitation rate not later than, 2017. The fishing opportunities for 2016 for those stocks should be set in such a way so as to ensure that the maximum sustainable yield exploitation rate is achieved on an incremental basis by that date.

(10)

The use of fishing opportunities set out in this Regulation is subject to Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 (3), and in particular to Articles 33 and 34 thereof concerning the recording of catches and fishing effort, and to the transmission of data on the exhaustion of fishing opportunities to the Commission. This Regulation should therefore specify the codes relating to landings of stocks subject to this Regulation that are to be used by Member States when sending data to the Commission.

(11)

Council Regulation (EC) No 847/96 (4) introduced additional conditions for year-to-year management of TACs including, under Articles 3 and 4, flexibility provisions for precautionary and analytical TACs. Under Article 2 of that Regulation, when fixing the TACs, the Council is to decide to which stocks Articles 3 or 4 shall not apply, in particular on the basis of the biological status of the stocks. More recently, the year-to-year flexibility mechanism was introduced by Article 15(9) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 for all stocks that are subject to the landing obligation. Therefore, in order to avoid excessive flexibility that would undermine the principle of rational and responsible exploitation of living marine biological resources, hinder the achievement of the objectives of the CFP and deteriorate the biological status of the stocks, it should be established that Articles 3 and 4 of Regulation (EC) No 847/96 apply to analytical TACs only where the year-to-year flexibility provided for in Article 15(9) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 is not used.

(12)

In 2015, in view of the embargo imposed by the Russian Federation on the importation of certain agricultural and fisheries products from the Union, a 25 % flexibility in terms of carrying forward unused fishing opportunities was introduced for the stocks that were most severely or directly affected by the Russian embargo. In view of exceptional circumstances consisting of a prolongation and extension of that embargo as regards the Union, as well as the unavailability of certain traditional markets, and in view of scientific advice, it is appropriate to allow fishing opportunities in respect of certain stocks that have not been used in 2015 to be carried over to 2016 up to a level of 25 %, and in respect of Northeast Atlantic mackerel, up to a level of 17,5 % of the initial 2015 quota. It is, therefore, appropriate to introduce such flexibility both in Council Regulations (EU) No 1221/2014 (5) and (EU) 2015/104 (6). No other flexibility as regards a carry-over of unused fishing opportunities should apply in respect of the stocks concerned.

(13)

In order to avoid interruption of fishing activities and to ensure the livelihoods of Union fishermen, this Regulation should apply from 1 January 2016. For reasons of urgency, this Regulation should enter into force immediately after its publication. For the reasons set out in recital 12, the provisions concerning the possibility to transfer fishing opportunities unused in 2015 should apply with effect from 1 January 2015,