Article 1

Delegated Regulation (EU) 2017/86 is amended as follows:

1. (1)

   in Article 2, point (c) is replaced by the following:

   ‘‘Western Mediterranean Sea’ means GFCM Geographical Sub-Areas 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11.1, 11.2 and 12.’;

2. (2)

   Article 3 is amended as follows:

   paragraph 1 is replaced by the following:

   ‘The exemption from the landing obligation pursuant to Article 15(4)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 for species for which scientific evidence demonstrates high survival rates shall apply in 2018 to:

   1. (a)

      common sole (Solea solea) caught with rapido (beam trawl) (TBB)^f1 in GSAs 17 and 18;

   2. (b)

      scallop (Pecten jacobeus) caught with mechanised dredges (HMD) in the Western Mediterranean Sea;

   3. (c)

      carpet clams (Venerupis spp.) caught with mechanised dredges (HMD) in the Western Mediterranean Sea;

   4. (d)

      Venus shells (Venus spp.) caught with mechanised dredges (HMD) in the Western Mediterranean Sea;

   5. (e)

      Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) caught with all bottom trawls (OTB, OTT, PTB, TBN, TBS, TB, OT, PT, TX) in the Western Mediterranean Sea.’

   paragraph 2 is replaced by the following:

   ‘Common sole (Solea solea), scallop (Pecten jacobeus), carpet clams (Venerupis spp.), Venus shells (Venus spp.) and Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus) caught in the circumstances referred to in paragraph 1 shall be released immediately in the area where they have been caught.’

   paragraph 3 is replaced by the following:

   ‘By 1 May 2018, Member States having a direct management interest in the fisheries in the Mediterranean Sea shall submit to the Commission additional discard data to those provided for in the Joint Recommendations of 2 and 28 June as well as 6 July 2017 and any other relevant scientific information supporting the exemption laid down in paragraph 1. For Norway lobster (Nephrops norvegicus), Member States shall submit data that would provide additional proof for survival rates in the summer months. The Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) shall assess those data and that information by July 2018 at the latest.’;

3. (3)

   in Article 4 (a) points (i) and (ii) are replaced by the following:

   1. (i)

      ‘for hake (Merluccius merluccius) and red mullets (Mullus spp.), up to a maximum of 7 % for 2017 and 2018 and up to a maximum of 6 % in 2019 of the total annual catches of these species by vessels using bottom trawls; and

   2. (ii)

      for hake (Merluccius merluccius) and red mullets (Mullus spp.), up to a maximum of 1 % of the total annual catches of these species by vessels using gillnets and trammel nets.’;

4. (4)

   Table 1 of the Annex is replaced by the text in the Annex to this Regulation.