31.12.98 Official Journal of the European Communities L 358/5 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 2846/98 of 17 December 1998 amending Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93 establishing a control system applicable to the common fisheries policy THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 43 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ('), Having regard to the opinion of the European Parlia- ment (%), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (%), Whereas practice in fisheries and in the transport and marketing of fishery products has evolved; whereas monitoring measures should therefore be adapted accord- ingly; whereas various shortcomings in Council Regula- tion (EEC) No 2847/93 of 12 October 1993 establishing a control system applicable to the common fisheries policy (*) should therefore be remedied; Whereas one of the basic requirements on masters of tishing vessels for control purposes is to record the amounts of different species held on board; whereas this requirement should be simplified; whereas specific char- acteristics of fisheries operations in the Mediterranean have to be taken into account; whereas, therefore, Article 6 of Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93 should be amended and Article 5 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2241/87 of 23 July 1987 establishing certain control measures for fishing activities (°), should be repealed,; Whereas it is appropriate that the existing exemptions of the provisions of Articles 6 and 8 of Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93 for fisheries operation in the Mediterranean Sea () OJ C 201, 27. 6. 1998, p. 14. @) O] C 328, 26. 10. 1998. () Opinion delivered on 9 September 1998 (not yet published in the Official Journal). () OJ L 261, 20. 10. 1993, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EC) No 2635/97 (O] L 356, 31. 12. 1997, p. 14). () OJ L 207, 29. 7. 1987, p. 1. Regulation as last amended by Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93 (O] L 261, 20. 10. 1993, p. 1). be extended for one year to coincide with the entry into force of the amended logbook requirements; Whereas Member States may adopt stricter measures in accordance with this Regulation, including for controlling landings; whereas to that end Member States may desig- nate ports for landings; Whereas controls on fishery products after landing should be reinforced; whereas the information about fishery products referred to in Article 9 of Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93 should be available from the moment of landing until the final marketing stage; whereas sales notes and take-over declarations should contain this information for the purposes of control; Whereas transhipment operations and, in general, opera- tions involving joint action by several vessels in Community waters have caused considerable control problems in some fisheries; whereas such operations should be subject to prior authorisation by Member States and made conditional on compliance with control procedures laid down; Whereas application of the new provisions on tranship- ments and other joint fishing operations involving several tishing vessels should be postponed until the entry into force of the detailed implementing rules; Whereas it should be ensured that the Commission has remote access to information contained in the relevant computer files in the databases updated by the Member States so that it can efficiently carry out the control tasks entrusted to it pursuant to Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93; Whereas, according to the principles of Community law, any decision taken in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 36 of Regulation (EEC) No 2847/93 will have to respect existing Community law, and in particular