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1. By 30 November of each year, Member States shall send to the Commission through the accustomed data-processing support, an updated list of the vessels of more than 15 metres in LOA flying its flag and registered in its territory that it authorises to fish in the GFCM Agreement area by issuance of a fishing authorisation.

2. The list indicated in paragraph 1 shall include the following information:

(a) the vessel’s CFR number and its external marking, as defined in Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/218;

(b) the period during which fishing and/or transhipment is authorised;

(c) the fishing gear used.

3. The Commission shall send the updated list to the GFCM Secretariat by 31 December of each year so that the vessels concerned can be entered on the GFCM register of vessels of more than 15 metres in LOA authorised to fish in the GFCM Agreement area (GFCM register).

4. Any change to be made to the list referred to in paragraph 1 shall be notified to the Commission for transmission to the GFCM Secretariat, through the accustomed data-processing support, at least 10 working days before the vessel begins fishing activity in the GFCM Agreement area.

5. EU fishing vessels of more than 15 metres in LOA that are not entered on the list referred to in paragraph 1 shall not fish, retain on board, tranship or land any type of fish or shellfish within the GFCM Agreement area.

6. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that:

(a) only vessels flying their flag that are included in the list referred to in paragraph 1 and that hold on board a fishing authorisation issued by them are permitted, under the terms of the authorisation, to carry out fishing activities in the GFCM Agreement area;

(b) no fishing authorisation is issued to vessels that have carried out IUU fishing in the GFCM Agreement area or elsewhere, unless the new owners provide adequate documentary evidence that the previous owners and operators no longer have any legal, beneficial or financial interest in, or exercise any control over, their vessels, or that their vessels neither take part in nor are associated with IUU fishing;

(c) as far as possible, their national legislation prohibits owners and operators of vessels flying their flag that are included in the list referred to in paragraph 1 from taking part in, or being associated with, fishing activities carried out in the GFCM Agreement area by vessels not on the GFCM register;

(d) as far as possible, their national legislation requires owners of vessels flying their flag that are included in the list referred to in paragraph 1 to be nationals or legal entities within the flag Member State;

(e) their vessels comply with all the relevant GFCM conservation and management measures.

7. Member States shall take the necessary measures to prohibit fishing, retention on board, transhipment and landing of fish and shellfish caught in the GFCM Agreement area carried out by vessels of more than 15 metres in LOA that are not on the GFCM register.

8. Member States shall, without delay, communicate to the Commission or the body designated by it when relevant any information showing that there are strong reasons for suspecting that vessels of more than 15 metres in LOA that are not on the GFCM register are fishing for or transhipping fish and shellfish in the GFCM Agreement area.