
Article 1 
For the purposes of multiannual Union programme for the collection and management of data in the fisheries sector for the period 2020-2021, the list of mandatory research surveys at sea and thresholds below which it is not mandatory for Member States to collect data based on their fishing and aquaculture activities or carry out surveys at sea covering the parts of the multiannual Union programme referred to in points (b) and (c) of Article 5(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1004, is set out in the Annex to this Decision.
Article 2 
Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/1251 is repealed with effect from 1 January 2020.
Article 3 
This Decision shall enter into force on the day following that of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
It shall apply from 1 January 2020.
Done at Brussels, 18 February 2019.
For the Commission
The President
Jean-Claude JUNCKER
ANNEX
CHAPTER I
At least all research surveys at sea listed in the Table in this Annex (replacing Table 10 of Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/1251) shall be carried out, unless a review of surveys leads to the conclusion that a survey is no longer appropriate for informing stock assessment and fisheries management. On the basis of the same scientific review criteria, new surveys can be added to this list.

In the workplans referred to in Article 21 of Regulation (EU) No 508/2014, Member States shall set out the research surveys at sea to be carried out and shall be responsible for these surveys.

Member States contributing to international research surveys shall coordinate their efforts within the same marine region.

In their national work plans Member States shall guarantee continuity with previous survey designs.

This Chapter is replacing Chapter IV of Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/1251.

CHAPTER II
(1) This Chapter shall apply to Union fisheries and is replacing the provisions of Chapter V of Implementing Decision (EU) 2016/1251.

(2) 

((a)) a Member State's share of the related total allowable catch (TAC) is less than 10 % of the Union total, or
((b)) where no TAC is fixed, the total landings of a Member State of a stock or species are less than 10 % of the average total EU landings in the previous 3 years, or
((c)) the total annual landings of a Member State of a species is less than 200 tonnes. For species with a specific management need a lower threshold may be defined at marine region level.

When the sum of the relevant quotas of several Member States, whose share of a TAC is less than 10 %, is higher than 25 % of the share of the TAC for a certain stock, the 10 % threshold referred to under (a) shall not apply and Member States shall ensure task-sharing at regional level in order to ensure that the stock is covered by sampling in concordance with end-user needs.

No threshold shall apply to large pelagic species and anadromous and catadromous species.

(3) Without prejudice to more specific provisions relating to international obligations under Regional Fisheries Management Organisations, no biological data should to be collected where, for a certain internationally exploited fish stock other than stocks of large pelagic or highly migratory species, the Union's share is less than 10 %.

(4) Member States shall provide catch estimates from existing recreational fishery surveys, including those carried out under the Data Collection Framework or from an additional pilot study, within two years from the date on which this Decision takes effect. These surveys make it possible to assess the share of catches from recreational fisheries in relation to commercial catches for all species in a marine region for which recreational catch estimates are required under this multiannual Union programme. The subsequent design and extent of national surveys of recreational fisheries, including any thresholds for data collection, shall be coordinated at marine region level and shall be based on end user needs.

No threshold shall apply to recreational catches of fish stocks that are subject to recovery or multi-annual management plans such as those applying to large pelagic species and highly migratory species.

(5) No social and economic data on aquaculture need to be collected if the total production of the Member State is less than 1 % of the total Union production volume and value. No data need to be collected on aquaculture for species accounting for less than 10 % of the Member State's aquaculture production by volume and value. Additionally, Member States with a total production of less than 2,5 % of the total Union aquaculture production volume and value may define a simplified methodology such as pilot studies with a view to extrapolate the data required for species accounting for more than 10 % of the Member States's aquaculture production by volume and value.

The reference data shall be the Member States' latest submission under Regulation (EC) No 762/2008 of the European Parliament and of the Council and corresponding data published by Eurostat.

(6) No environmental data on aquaculture need to be collected where the total aquaculture production of the Member State is less than 2,5 % of the total Union aquaculture production volume and value.

The reference data shall be the Member States' latest submission under Regulation (EC) No 762/2008 and corresponding data published by Eurostat.

(7) A Member State's participation (physical or financial) in research surveys at sea listed in the list of surveys at sea of this Annex is not mandatory when its share of a Union TAC of the survey target species is below a threshold of 3 %. Where no TAC is set, a Member State's participation (physical or financial) in research surveys at sea is not mandatory when its share of the total Union landings of the preceding 3 years of a stock or species is below a threshold of 3 %. Thresholds for multispecies and ecosystem surveys may be defined at marine region level.

(8) 

Name of the survey Acronym Area Period Main targeted species
Baltic Sea
Baltic International Trawl Survey BITS Q1BITS Q4 IIIaS, IIIb-d 1st and 4th Quarter Cod and other demersal species
Baltic International Acoustic Survey (Autumn) BIAS IIIa, IIIb-d Sep-Oct Herring and sprat
Gulf of Riga Acoustic Herring Survey GRAHS IIId 3rd Quarter Herring
Sprat Acoustic Survey SPRAS IIId May Sprat and herring
Rügen Herring Larvae Survey RHLS IIId March-June Herring
North Sea and Eastern Arctic (ICES areas I and II)
International Bottom Trawl Survey IBTS Q1IBTS Q3 IIIa, IV 1st and 3rd Quarter Haddock, Cod, Saithe, Herring, Sprat, Whiting, Mackerel, Norway pout.
North Sea Beam Trawl Survey BTS IVb,IVc,VIId 3rd Quarter Plaice, Sole
Demersal Young Fish Survey DYFS Coasts of NS 3rd and4th Quarter Plaice, sole, brown shrimp
Sole Net Survey SNS IVb, IVc 3rd Quarter Sole, Plaice
North Sea Sandeels Survey NSSS IVa, IVb 4th Quarter Sandeels
International Ecosystem Survey in the Nordic Seas ASH IIa May Herring, Blue whiting
Redfish Survey in the Norwegian Sea and adjacent waters REDNOR II August- September Redfish
Mackerel egg Survey(Triennial) NSMEGS IV May-July Mackerel egg production
Herring Larvae survey IHLS IV,VIId 1st and 3rd Quarter Herring, Sprat Larvae
NS Herring Acoustic Survey NHAS IIIa, IV,VIa June, July Herring, Sprat
Nephrops TVsurvey (FU 3&4) NTV3&4 IIIA 2nd or 3rd Quarter Nephrops
Nephrops TVsurvey (FU 6) NTV6 IVb September Nephrops
Nephrops TVsurvey (FU 7) NTV7 IVa 2nd or 3rd Quarter Nephrops
Nephrops TVsurvey (FU 8) NTV8 IVb 2nd or 3rd Quarter Nephrops
Nephrops TVsurvey (FU 9) NTV9 IVa 2nd or 3rd Quarter Nephrops
North Atlantic (ICES Areas V-XIV and NAFO areas)
International Redfish Trawl and Acoustic Survey (Biennial) REDTAS Va, XII, XIV; NAFO SA 1-3 June/July Redfish
Flemish Cap Groundfish survey FCGS 3M July Demersal species
Greenland Groundfish survey GGS XIV, NAFO SA1 October/November Cod, redfish and other demersal species
3LNO Groundfish survey PLATUXA NAFO 3LNO 2nd and 3rd Quarter Demersal species
Western IBTS 4th quarter(including Porcupine survey) IBTS Q4 VIa, VII, VIII, IXa 4th Quarter Demersal species
Scottish Western IBTS IBTS Q1 VIa,VIIa March Gadoids, herring, mackerel
ISBCBTS September ISBCBTS VIIa f g September Sole, Plaice
WCBTS VIIe BTS VIIe October Sole, Plaice, Anglerfish, Lemon sole
Blue whiting survey  VI, VII 1st and 2nd Quarter Blue whiting
International Mackerel and Horse Mackerel Egg Survey(Triennial) MEGS VIa, VII,VIII, IXa January-July Mackerel, Horse Mackerel egg production
Sardine, Anchovy Horse Mackerel Acoustic Survey  VIII, IX March-April-May Sardine, Anchovy, Mackerel, Horse Mackerel abundance indices
Sardine DEPM(Triennial)  VIIIc, IXa 2nd and 4th Quarter Sardine SSB and use of CUFES
Spawning/Pre spawning Herring/Boarfish acoustic survey  VIa, VIIa-g July, Sept, Nov, March, Jan Herring, Sprat
Biomass of Anchovy BIOMAN VIII May Anchovy SSB (DEP)
Nephrops UWTV survey (offshore) UWTV(FU 11-13) VIa 2nd or 3rd Quarter Nephrops
Nephrops UWTVIrish Sea UWTV(FU 15) VIIa August Nephrops
Nephrops UWTV surveyAran Grounds UWTV(FU 17) VIIb June Nephrops
Nephrops UWTV surveyCeltic Sea UWTV(FU 20-22) VIIg,h,j July Nephrops
Nephrops SurveyOffshore Portugal NepS UWTV(FU 28-29) IXa June Nephrops
Mediterranean waters and Black sea
Pan-Mediterranean Acoustic Survey () MEDIAS GSA 1, 6, 7, 9, 10, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 22 Spring-summer (qtrs 2-3) Small pelagic species
Bottom trawl survey in Black Sea, BTSBS GSA 29 Spring - autumn (qtrs 2,3,4) Turbot
Pelagic trawl survey in Black Sea, PTSBS GSA 29 Spring-autumn (qtrs 2,3,4) Sprat and Whiting
International bottom trawl survey in the Mediterranean (), MEDITS GSA 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 22, 23, 25 Spring-summer (qtrs 2-3) Demersal species

