{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2009-1224/article-73",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2009-1224/article-73.json",
  "legislation": "eur/2009/1224",
  "legislation_title": "Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 of 20 November 2009 establishing a Union control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the common fisheries policy, amending Regulations (EC) No 847/96, (EC) No 2371/2002, (EC) No 811/2004, (EC) No 768/2005, (EC) No 2115/2005, (EC) No 2166/2005, (EC) No 388/2006, (EC) No 509/2007, (EC) No 676/2007, (EC) No 1098/2007, (EC) No 1300/2008, (EC) No 1342/2008 and repealing Regulations (EEC) No 2847/93, (EC) No 1627/94 and (EC) No 1966/2006",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-regulation-2009-1224",
  "path": "article/73",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "73",
  "heading": "Control observers",
  "text": "1. Where a ... control observer scheme has been established by a fisheries administration, control observers on board fishing vessels shall verify the fishing vessel’s compliance with Fisheries Rules. They shall implement all the tasks of the observer scheme and in particular verify and record the vessel’s fishing activities and relevant documents.\n2. Control observers shall be qualified for their tasks. They shall be independent of the owner, the master of the fishing vessel and any crew member. They shall not have any economic link with the operator.\n3. As far as possible, control observers shall ensure that their presence on board fishing vessels does not hinder or interfere with the fishing activities and the normal operations of the vessel.\n4. In the event a control observer notices a serious infringement, he shall inform without delay the competent authorities of a fisheries administration.\n5. Control observers shall draw up an observer report, if possible electronically, and forward it without delay, using if deemed necessary electronic means of transmission on board the fishing vessel, to their competent authorities and to the competent authorities of the flag state. A fisheries administration must insert the report in the database referred to in Article 78.\n6. In the event that the observer report indicates that the vessel observed has engaged in fishing activities contrary to Fisheries Rules, the competent authorities referred to in paragraph 4 shall take all appropriate action to investigate the matter.\n7. Masters of United Kingdom fishing vessels shall provide adequate accommodation for assigned control observers, facilitate their work and avoid interference with the discharge of their duties. Masters of United Kingdom fishing vessels shall also provide control observers access to relevant parts of the vessel, including the catch, and to the vessel’s documents including electronic files.\n8. All costs arising from the operation of control observers in respect of United Kingdom fishing vessels shall be borne by a fisheries administration. A fisheries administration may charge those costs, in part or in full, to the operators of United Kingdom fishing vessels involved in the relevant fishery.\n9. A fisheries administration may make regulations specifying detailed rules for the application of this Article.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Word in Art. 73(1) omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Common Fisheries Policy (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/739), regs. 1, 4(72)(a)(i); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Words in Art. 73(1) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Common Fisheries Policy (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/739), regs. 1, 4(72)(a)(ii); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in Art. 73(1) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Common Fisheries Policy (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/739), regs. 1, 4(72)(a)(iii); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in Art. 73(4) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Common Fisheries Policy (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/739), regs. 1, 4(72)(b); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "Words in Art. 73(5) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Common Fisheries Policy (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/739), regs. 1, 4(72)(c)(i); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Words in Art. 73(5) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Common Fisheries Policy (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/739), regs. 1, 4(72)(c)(ii); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Words in Art. 73(6) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Common Fisheries Policy (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/739), regs. 1, 4(72)(d); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F8",
      "text": "Words in Art. 73(7) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Common Fisheries Policy (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/739), regs. 1, 4(72)(e); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F9",
      "text": "Substituted by Regulation (EU) 2015/812 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 May 2015 amending Council Regulations (EC) No 850/98, (EC) No 2187/2005, (EC) No 1967/2006, (EC) No 1098/2007, (EC) No 254/2002, (EC) No 2347/2002 and (EC) No 1224/2009, and Regulations (EU) No 1379/2013 and (EU) No 1380/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council, as regards the landing obligation, and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1434/98."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F10",
      "text": "Art. 73(8) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Common Fisheries Policy (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/739), regs. 1, 4(72)(f); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F11",
      "text": "Art. 73(9) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Common Fisheries Policy and Aquaculture (Amendment etc.) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/753), regs. 1, 27(22); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eur/2009/1224/article/73",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T14:51:02.536132+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}