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1. Member States shall operate a satellite-based vessel monitoring system for effective monitoring of fishing activities of the fishing vessels flying their flag wherever those vessels may be and of fishing activities in the Member States’ waters.

2. Without prejudice to specific provisions contained in multiannual plans, a fishing vessel of 12 metres’ length overall or more shall have installed on board a fully functioning device which allows that vessel to be automatically located and identified through the vessel monitoring system by transmitting position data at regular intervals. It shall also allow the fisheries monitoring centre of the flag Member State to poll the fishing vessel. For fishing vessels of 12 metres’ length overall or more and less than 15 metres’ length overall this Article shall apply as from 1 January 2012.

3. When a fishing vessel is in the waters of another Member State, the flag Member State shall make available the vessel monitoring system data of that vessel by automatic transmission to the fisheries monitoring centre of the coastal Member States. The vessel monitoring system data shall also be made available upon request to the Member State in whose ports a fishing vessel is likely to land its catches or in the waters of which the fishing vessel is likely to continue its fishing activities. The vessel monitoring system shall allow the fisheries monitoring centre of the flag Member State referred to in Article 9a to poll the position of the fishing vessel through a satellite connection or, where possible, any other network. In the event that the device referred to in this paragraph is not within reach of a network, the vessel position data shall be recorded during that period of time and shall be transmitted automatically as soon as the vessel is in reach of such network. Connection with the network shall be re-established at the latest before entering a port or landing site.

4. If a Union ◄ fishing vessel operates in the waters of a third country or in areas of the high sea where the fishing resources are managed by an international organisation and, if the agreement with that third country or the applicable rules of that international organisation so provide, those data shall also be made available to that country or organisation.

5. A Member State may exempt Union ◄ fishing vessels of less than 15 metres’ length overall flying its flag from the requirement to be fitted with a vessel monitoring system if they:

(a) operate exclusively within the territorial seas of the flag Member State; or (b) never spend more than 24 hours at sea from the time of departure to the return to port.

6. Third country fishing vessels of 12 metres’ length overall or more and third country auxiliary fishing vessels engaged in activities ancillary to fishing activities operating in Union ◄ waters shall have installed on board a fully functioning device which allows such a vessel to be automatically located and identified by the vessel monitoring system by transmitting position data at regular intervals in the same way as Union ◄ fishing vessels.

7. Member States shall establish and operate fisheries monitoring centres, which shall monitor fishing activities and fishing effort. The fisheries monitoring centre of a particular Member State shall monitor the fishing vessels flying its flag, whatever the waters in which they are operating or the port they are in, as well as Union ◄ fishing vessels flying the flag of other Member States and fishing vessels of third countries to which a vessel monitoring system applies operating in the waters under the sovereignty or the jurisdiction of that particular Member State.

8. Each flag Member State shall appoint the competent authorities responsible for the fisheries monitoring centre and shall take the appropriate measures to ensure that its fisheries monitoring centre has the proper staffing resources and is equipped with computer hardware and software enabling automatic data processing and electronic data transmission. Member States shall provide for back-up and recovery procedures in case of system failure. Member States may operate a joint fisheries monitoring centre.

9. A Member State may oblige or authorise any fishing vessels flying its flag to be fitted with a vessel monitoring system.

10. Detailed rules for the application of this Article shall be adopted in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 119.