9.1.2004 Official Journal of the European Union L 5/25 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 26/2004 of 30 December 2003 on the Community fishing fleet register THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002 of 20 December 2002 on the conservation and sustainable exploita- tion of fisheries resources under the common fisheries policy (), and in particular Article 15(3) and (4) thereof, Whereas: (1) For the application of the rules of the common fisheries policy, in accordance with Article 15 of Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002, each Member State is required to keep a register of vessels flying its flag and the Commission is required to set up a Community fishing fleet register on the basis of the national registers. () If it is to be an effective and comprehensive tool for implementing the rules of the common fisheries policy, the Community fishing fleet register should include all Community fishing vessels, including those used exclu- sively in aquaculture. (3)  In order to have available the information essential for the management of the capacity of fishing fleets and their activity, the information on vessel characteristics which has to appear in the register for each Member State in accordance with Article 15(1) of Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002 should be identified. (4)  The definition of the procedures for forwarding to the Commission the data appearing in the register of each Member State is needed to ensure a regular updating of the Community fishing fleet register. (5)  The characteristics and external markings recorded in the register kept by each Member State should be speci- fied in accordance with Council Regulation (EEC) 2930/ 86 of 22 September 1986 defining characteristics for fishing vessels (3, as amended by Regulation (EC) No 3259/94 (), and with Commission Regulation (EEC) No 1381/87 of 20 May 1987 establishing detailed rules concerning the marking and documentation of fishing vessels (4). (6)  The Member States should constantly monitor the quality of the information given in their national regis- ters and ensure that it is checked by the Commission as soon as it is received. 1 () OJ L 358, 31.12.2002, p. 59. () OJ L 274, 25.9.1986, p. 1. () OJL 339,29.12.1994, p. 11. () OJL 132, 21.5.1987, p. 9. (7)  In order to monitor the movements of vessels between Member States and to ensure an unequivocal link between the information contained in the Community fishing fleet register and the data from other information systems relating to fishing activities, it is important to allocate a unique identification number to each Com- munity fishing vessel, which under no circumstances may be reassigned or altered. (8)  To ensure the effective application of this Regulation and to simplify data management, the communication tools to be used between Member States and the Commission should be defined. (9) It should be stipulated that the Commission is to ensure access by the Member States to all the information in the Community fishing fleet register in compliance with the provisions relating to the protection of personal data set out in Regulation (EC) No 45/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council (°). (10)  In the light of the changes made by Article 15 of Regu- lation (EC) No 2371/2002 to the method for managing fishing vessel registers, Commission Regulation (EC) No 2090/98 of 30 September 1998 concerning the fishing vessel register of the Community (), as amended by Regulation (EC) No 839/2002 (’), should be repealed. (11)  The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 Subject 1. This Regulation: (a) determines the minimum information on vessel characteris- tics and activity which must figure in the register which each Member State keeps of the fishing vessels flying its flag (hereinafter called ‘the national register); (b) lays down the obligations of Member States regarding the collection, validation and transmission of the data from their national register to the Commission; (c) lays down the obligations of the Commission regarding the management of the Community fishing fleet register (here- inafter called ‘the Community register’). L 8 12.1.2001, p. 1. () O] () OJ L 266,1.10.1998, p. 27. () OJ L 134, 22.5.2002, p. 5.