15.7.2000 Official Journal of the European Communities L176/1 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 1543/2000 of 29 June 2000 establishing a Community framework for the collection and management of the data needed to conduct the common fisheries policy 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 (%), Whereas: 1) Council Regulation (EEC) No 3760/92 of 20 December 1992 establishing a Community system for fisheries and aquaculture (}) provides for regular assessments by the Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fish- eries (hereinafter referred to as the STECF) of the situa- tion as regards fishery resources, and its economic impli- cations. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation's Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and the Agreement relating to the Conservation and Manage- ment of Straddling Fish Stocks both emphasise the need to develop research and data collection with a view to improving scientific knowledge. The Community must take part in the efforts undertaken in international waters to conserve fishery resources, notably in accordance with the provisions adopted by the regional fishery organisations. To conduct the scientific evaluations needed for the common fisheries policy (hereinafter referred to as the CFP), complete data must be collected on the biology of () O] C 375E, 28.12.1999, p. 54. (¥ Opinion delivered on 2 March 2000 (not yet published in the Offi- cial Journal). (®) OJ L 389, 31.12.1992, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regula- tion (EC) No 1181/98 (O] L 164, 9.6.1998, p. 1). the fish stocks, on the fleets and their activities and on economic and social issues. The collection of this specific information should be coordinated with statistical data. Priorities must be established at Community level, as must the procedures for data collection and processing within the Community, in order to ensure that the entire system is consistent and to optimise its cost-effectiveness by creating a stable multiannual framework. Scientific analyses primarily require aggregated data obtained by grouping and processing the detailed data at an appropriate level, rather than basic detailed data. The existing Regulations in this area, in particular Council Regulations (EEC) No 3759/92 (%), (EEC) No 2847/93 (), and (EC) No 685/95 (), (EC) No 779/97 (), (EC) No 104/2000 (%) and Commission Regulations (EC) No 2090/98 (), (EC) No 2091/98 ('¥) and (EC) No 2092/98 (') include provisions on the collection and management of data relating to fishing vessels, their activities and catches and on price monitoring, all of which must be taken into account if a comprehensive system is to be established. The existing Regulations do not cover all the activities for which data should be collected with a view to complete and reliable scientific analysis. The Regulations currently relate to data on an individual or global level but not data aggregated at the appropriate level for scientific evaluation. New provisions should therefore be introduced to produce multiannual sets of aggregated data that can be accessed by the appropriate authorised users. (*) OJ L 388, 31.12.1992, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regula- tion (EC) No 3318/94 (O] L 350, 31.12.1994, p. 15). () OJ L 261, 20.10.1993, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regula- () () ¢ () ( 0 ( 1 ) ) tion (EC) No 2346/98 (O] L 358, 31.12.1998, p. 5). 9 OJ L 71, 31.3.1995, p. 5. J L 113, 30.4.1997, p. 1. L 17, 21.1.2000, p. 22. L 266, 1.10.1998, p. 27. 266, 1.10.1998, p. 36. 0] L 0] L 266, 1.10.1998, p. 47.