20.10.2001 Official Journal of the European Communities L277/13 COMMISSION REGULATION (EC) No 2056/2001 of 19 October 2001 establishing additional technical measures for the recovery of the stocks of cod in the North Sea and to the west of Scotland THE COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, (6)  The measures provided for in this Regulation are in Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, Having regard to Council Regulation (EC) No 850/98 of 30 March 1998 for the conservation of fishery resources through technical measures for the protection of juveniles of marine organisms ('), as last modified by Regulation (EC) No 973/ 2001 (3, and in particular Article 45(1) thereof, Whereas: (1)  In November 2000, the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea indicated that the stock of cod which inhabits the North Sea (ICES Sub-area IV and ICES Division Ila) and the stock of cod which inhabits waters to the west of Scotland (ICES Sub-area VI and ICES Division Vb) are at serious risk of collapse. 2) At the Council meeting of 14 and 15 December 2000, the Commission and the Council noted the urgent requirement to establish a recovery plan for these stocks of cod. (3)  The immediate requirement is to reduce catches of juve- nile cod by establishing: — a general increase in the mesh size of towed nets and static nets used to catch cod to which end it is necessary to derogate from conditions regarding mesh sizes of towed gears laid down in Annexes I and VI of Regulation (EC) No 850/98, and — additional conditions to ensure that capture of juve- nile cod by towed nets of mesh size less than 120 mm is reduced. (4)  Many of the measures to be envisaged in the North Sea are also relevant in the context of cod recovery in waters to the west of Scotland and should therefore also be taken in that geographical area while some measures require to be specific to the west of Scotland. (5) It is necessary to regulate on these matters immediately, in anticipation of a revision of Regulation (EC) No 850/ 98, so that the fishing industry will be provided with sufficient time to amend their fishing gears. () O] L 125, 27.4.1998, p. 1. () O] L 137, 19.5.2001, p. 1. accordance with the opinion of the Management Committee for Fisheries and Aquaculture, HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION: Article 1 1. This Regulation shall apply to fishing vessels operating within Community waters of ICES Sub-areas IV and VI and ICES Divisions Ila and Vb. 2. It shall not apply to fishing vessels operating within that part of ICES Sub-area VI enclosed by straight lines sequentially joining the following geographical coordinates: 56°00' N 07° 30" W 56°00' N 04° 00" W 55°00' N 04° 00" W 55°00' N 07° 30" W 56°00' N 07° 30" W 3. In that area the conditions laid down in Articles 2 and 3 of Council Regulation (EC) No 2549/2000 of 17 November 2000 establishing additional technical measures for the recovery of the stock of cod in the Irish Sea (ICES Division Vlla) (). Article 2 For the purposes of this Regulation the following definitions shall apply: 1. ‘codend’ means a codend sensu stricto as defined in the Annex to Commission Regulation (EEC) No 3440/84 (*) of 6 December 1984 on the attachment of devices to trawls, Danish seines and similar nets. 2. ‘extension piece’ means a lengthening piece as defined in the Annex to Regulation (EEC) No 3440/84. Article 3 For the purposes of this Regulation percentages of catches retained on board shall be calculated in accordance with condi- tions laid down in Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No 850/98. () O L 292, 21.11.2000, p. 5. () O] L 318, 7.12.1984, p. 23.