(1)

Council Regulation (EC) No 1941/2006 of 11 December 2006 fixing the fishing opportunities and associated fishing conditions for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks, applicable in the Baltic Sea for 2007 (3), fixes an amount of 10 794 tonnes of cod which may be fished in 2007 in the Baltic Sea (Subdivisions 25-32, EC-waters) by vessels flying the flag of Poland.

(2)

The information obtained by the Commission through inspections carried out by its inspectors and related to the catches of that stock is not consistent with that sent to the Commission by Poland.

(3)

The information in its possession shows that catches of that stock by Polish vessels in 2007 are three times the amounts declared by Poland. Therefore, the fishing opportunities for the said stock allocated to Poland for 2007 are deemed to be exhausted.

(4)

According to Article 21(2) of Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93 Poland has the obligation to provisionally prohibit, as from the date on which its catch quota in question is deemed to be exhausted, the fishing for that stock, the retention on board, the transhipment and the landing of fish taken after that date.

(5)

In the absence of appropriate action taken by Poland, it is necessary that the Commission fixes, at its own initiative, the moment on which the catches by vessels flying the flag of Poland of cod in the Baltic Sea (Subdivisions 25-32, EC-waters) are deemed to have exhausted the quota for Poland, and to immediately prohibit fishing for that stock as from that date. It is also necessary to prohibit retention on board, transhipment and landing of that stock caught by vessels flying the flag of Poland after that date,