European Union and the United Kingdom - fisheries consultations: written record 2022

Inter-annual flexibility

a) Underlining the need for flexibility in quota management, the Delegations agreed that inter-annual flexibility can increase the effectiveness of fisheries management, whereby certain quota shares can be carried forward to, or borrowed from, the following management period. They therefore notified the following arrangements for 2022 to 2023:

i. Each Party may transfer to the following year unutilised quantities of up to 10% of its quota of a particular TAC. The quantity carried forward can then be used in addition to that Party’s quota in the following year. Quota transferred in this way cannot be carried forward to subsequent years. This year-to-year flexibility does not apply to the stocks listed in Annex 2, where no such flexibility will be available.

ii. Each Party may authorise fishing by vessels of up to 10% beyond its quota of a particular TAC. All quantities fished beyond its quota for the year will be deducted from the Party’s quota for the following year. This year-to-year flexibility does not apply to the stocks listed in Annex 2, where no such flexibility will be available.

iii. The Parties agree to determine a format for, and to arrange for, complete catch statistics and quotas for the previous year to be made available to the other Party via the SCF.

iv. These arrangements apply to all the eligible stocks listed in Annexes 35 and 36 to the TCA. However, if other international arrangements or obligations are put in place which conflict with these arrangements, those other arrangements and obligations will prevail.

b) The Delegations agreed that further discussions on this matter could take place via the SCF.

London,

For the United Kingdom

Mike Dowell

Brussels,

For the European Union

Joost Paardekooper