Parliament adopts bluefin tuna catch documentation programme

Decision

The European Parliament adopted the provisional agreement on the proposal for a regulation establishing a catch documentation programme for bluefin tuna, recorded as P9_TA(2023)0399, and closed Parliament’s first reading; the text was adopted by a majority of votes cast in the plenary on 21 November 2023. The file was lodged by the Committee on Fisheries with rapporteur Gabriel Mato and had an initial vote in February 2022 before being referred back to the committee for interinstitutional negotiations under Rule 59(4).

What Changes

The adopted regulation establishes a catch documentation programme for Thunnus thynnus and repeals Regulation (EU) No 640/2010, replacing the previous legal framework. This creates new documentation and compliance requirements for operators handling bluefin tuna, affecting importers, exporters, fisheries operators and national compliance teams.

Who Is Affected

Directly affected parties include the European Union and external partners identified in classification such as the United States and Japan, together with fisheries operators, seafood traders and national compliance authorities.