19.6.2007 Official Journal of the European Union L 1571 | (Acts adopted under the EC Treaty/Euratom Treaty whose publication is obligatory) REGULATIONS COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 676/2007 of 11 June 2007 establishing a multiannual plan for fisheries exploiting stocks of plaice and sole in the North Sea 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: () Recent scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) has indicated that the stocks of plaice and of sole in the North Sea have been subjected to levels of mortality by fishing which have exceeded the level determined by ICES as being consistent with the precautionary approach, and the stocks are at risk of being harvested unsustainably. Advice from a committee of experts examining multi- annual management strategies indicates that the highest yield of sole can be taken at a fishing mortality rate of 0,2 on ages two to six years. The Scientific, Technical and Economic Committee for Fisheries (STECF) has advised that the precautionary (") Opinion of the European Parliament delivered on 28 September 2006 (not yet published in the Official Journal). (6) biomass for the stock of plaice in the North Sea should be 230000 tonnes, that the fishing mortality rate necessary to produce the highest yield from the stock of plaice in the North Sea in the long term is 0,3 and that the precautionary biomass for the stock of sole in the North Sea should be 35 000 tonnes. Measures need to be taken to establish a multiannual plan for fisheries management of the stocks of plaice and sole in the North Sea. Such measures, where they concern the stock of plaice in the North Sea, are to be established in the light of consultations with Norway. The objective of the plan is to ensure, in a first stage, that stocks of plaice and sole in the North Sea are brought within safe biological limits, and in a second stage and after due consideration by the Council on the imple- menting methods for doing so that those stocks, are exploited on the basis of maximum sustainable yield and under sustainable economic, environmental and social conditions. Council Regulation (EC) No 2371/2002 of 20 December 2002 on the conservation and sustainable exploitation of 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. () O] L 358, 31.12.2002, p. 59.