20.4.2000 Official Journal of the European Communities L 100/3 COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 812/2000 of 17 April 2000 amending Regulation (EC) No 1626/94 laying down certain technical measures for the conservation of fishery resources in the Mediterranean and Regulation (EC) No 850/98 for the conservation of fishery resources through technical measures for the protection of juveniles of marine organisms THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community and, in particular, Article 37 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament ('), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (2), Whereas: (1) According to Article 2 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 3760/92 of the Council of 20 December 1992 establishing a Community system for fisheries and aquaculture (*), the general objectives of the common fisheries policy are to protect and conserve living marine aquatic resources. (2)  The International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT), at its 11th extraor- dinary session held in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, from 16 to 23 November 1998, recom- mended certain specific rules on seasonal closures and on minimum landing sizes of bluefin tuna. These rules are drawn up on scientific advice. This recommendation entered into force on 21 June 1999. (3)  The Community is a member of ICCAT. It is therefore necessary to implement those recommenda- tions, in order to avoid an excessive fishing pressure on bluefin tuna. (4)  Regulation (EC) No 1626/94 (* and Regulation (EC) No 850/98 (°) set out minimum sizes for bluefin tuna in, respectively, the Mediterranean Sea and in regions 1 to 5, except Skagerrak and Kattegat, of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. Regulation (EC) No 1626/94 set out seasonal closures in the Mediterranean Sea. These Regulations should consequently be amended, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 Regulation (EC) No 1626/94 is amended as follows: 1. In Article 3a, paragraph 1 shall be replaced by the following text: ‘1. It shall be forbidden to take bluefin tuna with an encircling net: — for vessels whose exclusive or predominant area of operation is the Adriatic, from 1 to 31 May in the whole Mediterrean Sea and from 16 July to 15 August in the Mediterranean Sea excluding the Adriatic, — for vessels whose exclusive or predominant area of operation is the Mediterranean, excluding the Adriatic, from 16 July to 15 August in the whole Mediterranean Sea and from 1 to 31 May in the Adriatic. (*) Opinion delivered on 2 March 2000 (not yet published in the Official Journal). @ O] C 75, 15.3.2000, p. 13. () OJ L 389, 31.12.1992, p 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulatlon (EC) No 1181/98 (O] L 164, 9.6.1998, p. 1). (*) OJ L 171, 6.7.1994, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 1448/1999 (O] L 167, 2.7.1999, p. 7). () O] L 125, 27.4.1998, p. 1. Regulation as last amendedyby Regulatlon EC) No 2723[1999 (O] L 328, 22.12.1999, p. 9.