
COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 898/2007 of 27 July 2007 amending Council Regulation (EC) No 41/2007 as regards the catch limits for the stock of sprat in EC waters of ICES zones IIa and IV 

THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community,
Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 41/2007 of 21 December 2006 fixing for 2007 the fishing opportunities and associated conditions for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks, applicable in Community waters and, for Community vessels, in waters where catch limitations are required, and in particular Article 5(5) thereof:
Whereas:

(1) Preliminary catch limits for sprat in EC waters of ICES zones IIa and IV are laid down in Annex IA to Regulation (EC) No 41/2007.

(2) Pursuant to Article 5(5) of that Regulation, the Commission may revise the catch limits in the light of scientific information collected during the first half of 2007.

(3) Taking into account information collected during the first half of 2007, the catch limits for sprat in the zones concerned should be adjusted.

(4) Annex IA to Regulation (EC) No 41/2007 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(5) The sprat is a short-lived species, therefore the catch limitations should be implemented as soon as possible, in order to avoid delays which could lead to over-fishing of the stock.

(6) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture,
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:

Article 1 
Annex IA to Regulation (EC) No 41/2007 is amended in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation.
Article 2 
This Regulation shall enter into force on the day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.Done at Brussels, 27 July 2007.
For the Commission
Joe BORG
Member of the Commission
ANNEX

Annex IA to Regulation (EC) No 41/2007 is amended as follows:
The entry concerning the stock of sprat in EC waters of ICES zones IIa and IV is replaced by the following:

‘SpeciesSpratSprattus sprattus ZoneEC waters of IIa and IVSPR/2AC4-C
Belgium 1 917 Precautionary TACArticle 3 of Regulation (EC) No 847/96 applies.Article 4 of Regulation (EC) No 847/96 does not apply.Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) No 847/96 applies.
Denmark 151 705
Germany 1 917
France 1 917
The Netherlands 1 917
Sweden 1 330
United Kingdom 6 325
EC 167 028
Norway 18 812
Faroe Islands 9 160
TAC 195 000





