22.9.2007 Official Journal of the European Union L 248/1 (Acts adopted under the EC Treaty/Euratom Treaty whose publication is obligatory) REGULATIONS COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 1098/2007 of 18 September 2007 establishing a multiannual plan for the cod stocks in the Baltic Sea and the fisheries exploiting those stocks, amending Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93 and repealing Regulation (EC) No 779/97 THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 37 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament (%), Whereas: (1) () Recent scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) indicates that the cod stock in ICES Subdivisions 25 to 32 of the Baltic Sea has declined to levels where it is suffering from reduced reproductive capacity and that the stock is being harvested unsustainably. Recent scientific advice from ICES indicates that the cod stock in ICES Subdivisions 22, 23 and 24 of the Baltic Sea is over-exploited and has reached levels where it is at risk of reduced reproductive capacity. Measures need to be taken to establish a multiannual plan for fisheries management of the cod stocks in the Baltic Sea. The objective of the plan is to ensure that Baltic cod stocks can be exploited under sustainable economic, environmental and social conditions. Council Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002 of 20 December 2002 on the conservation and sustainable exploitation of (') Opinion of 7 June 2007 (not yet published in the Official Journal). fisheries resources under the common fisheries policy (?) requires, inter alia, that to achieve that objective, the Community is to apply the precautionary approach in taking measures to protect and conserve the stock, to provide for its sustainable exploitation and to reduce to a minimum the impact of fishing on marine ecosystems. It should aim at a progressive implementation of an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management, and should contribute to efficient fishing activities within an economically viable and competitive fisheries industry, providing a fair standard of living for those who depend on fishing Baltic cod and taking the interests of consumers into account. In order to achieve the objective, the Eastern stock must be rebuilt to safe biological limits and, for both stocks, levels must be ensured at which their full reproductive capacity is maintained and the highest long-term yields can be reached. This can be achieved by establishing an appropriate method for gradually reducing the fishing effort in fisheries catching cod to levels that are consistent with the objective, and by fixing the total allowable catches (TACs) for the cod stocks at levels consistent with the fishing effort. As catches of cod in the fisheries for herring and sprat and in gillnet and entangling-net fisheries for salmon are very limited, these fisheries should not be subject to the gradual reduction in fishing effort. To ensure stability in the fishing possibilities, it is appro- priate to limit the variation in the TACs from one year to the next. () O] L 358, 31.12.2002, p. 59.