L 198/8 Official Journal of the European Union 26.7.2008 COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 718/2008 of 24 July 2008 amending Regulations (EC) No 2015/2006 and (EC) No 40/2008, as regards fishing opportunities and associated conditions for certain fish stocks THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, 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 exploi- tation of fisheries resources under the Common Fisheries Policy (1), and in particular Article 20 thereof, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 1559/2007 of 17 December 2007 establishing a multi-annual recovery plan for bluefin tuna in the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean (?), and in particular Article 7 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Whereas: (1) Council Regulation (EC) No 2015/2006 (%) fixes for 2007 and 2008 the fishing opportunities for Community fishing vessels for certain deep-sea fish stocks. (2)  The descriptions of certain fishing zones in that Regu- lation should be clarified in order to ensure the correct identification of the area in which a quota can be fished. (3)  In order to ensure that the multi-annual recovery plan for bluefin tuna in the Eastern Atlantic and Mediter- ranean established by Council Regulation (EC) No 1559/2007 is fully implemented, certain measures provided for in that Regulation should be adopted; in particular, the number of vessels authorised to fish for bluefin tuna of below the minimum size in the Atlantic, and their total allowable catch, should be fixed and distributed between the Member States concerned. (4 Council Regulation (EC) No 40/2008 (%) fixes for 2008 the fishing opportunities and associated conditions for certain fish stocks and groups of fish stocks, applicable in Community waters and, for Community vessels, in () OJ L 358, 31.12.2002, p. 59. Regulation as amended by Regulation (EC) No 865/2007 (O] L 192, 24.7.2007, p. 1). () O] L 340, 22.12.2007, p. 8. () O] L 384, 29.12.2006, p. 28. Regulation as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 1541/2008 (O] L 157, 17.6.2008, p. 23). ( O] L 19, 23.1.2008, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Commission Regulation (EC) No 641/2008 (O] L 178, 5.7.2008, p. 17). waters where catch limitations are required. The coor- dinates for certain fisheries restrictive areas were inaccu- rately indicated in that Regulation and should be corrected. Annex IA to Regulation (EC) No 40/2008 lays down the provisional catch limits for cod in International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) zones VIIb-k, VIII, IX and X and in EC waters of CECAF area 34.1.1. Following a new scientific assessment of the state of that stock by the ICES, it is important to set the final total allowable catch for that stock. Certain quotas and footnotes were inaccurately indicated in that Regulation for certain species and should be corrected. Pursuant to consultations between the Community and Iceland on 10 April 2008, an arrangement was reached on capelin quotas for Icelandic vessels to be fished from the Community quota allocated under its Agreement with the Government of Denmark and the local Government of Greenland before 30 April 2008, and on redfish quotas for Community vessels fishing for redfish in the Icelandic Exclusive Economic Zone to be fished between July and December. That arrangement should be implemented in Community law. The Agreement established between the European Community, the Faeroe Islands, Greenland, Iceland, Norway and the Russian Federation in Copenhagen on 13 and 14 February 2008 regarding the management of redfish in the Irminger Sea and adjacent waters in the NEAFC Convention Area in 2008 should be implemen- ted in Community law. As the Agreement is applicable for the whole of 2008, the measures adopted for its implementation ~ should apply retroactively from 1 January 2008. The conclusions of the EU-Greenland Joint Committee meeting in Nuuk on 27 November 2007 and the technical meeting in Copenhagen on 12 February 2008, as regards the EC share of redfish in Greenland waters of ICES zones V and XIV should be implemented in Community law. As the arrangement concluded with Greenland is connected to the NEAFC Agreement on management of redfish in the Irminger Sea, the measures adopted for the implementation of the conclusions of the EU-Greenland Joint Committee meeting should also apply retroactively from 1 January 2008.