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1. In addition to what is provided for in Article 13 of Regulation (EC) No 1967/2006, the use of trawls in the western Mediterranean Sea shall be prohibited within six nautical miles from the coast except in areas deeper than the 100 m isobath during three months each year and, where appropriate, consecutively, on the basis of the best available scientific advice. Those three months of annual closure shall be determined by each Member State and shall apply during the most relevant period determined on the basis of the best available scientific advice. That period shall be communicated to the Commission and other Member States concerned without delay.

2. By way of derogation from paragraph 1, and provided that it is justified by particular geographical constraints, such as the limited size of the continental shelf or the long distances to fishing grounds, Member States may establish, on the basis of the best available scientific advice, other closure areas, provided that a reduction of at least 20 % of catches of juvenile hake in each geographical subarea is achieved. Such derogation shall be communicated to the Commission and other Member States concerned without delay.

3. By 17 July 2021 and on the basis of the best available scientific advice, the Member States concerned shall establish other closure areas where there is evidence of a high concentration of juvenile fish, below the minimum conservation reference size, and of spawning grounds of demersal stocks, in particular for the stocks concerned.

4. The other closure areas established pursuant to paragraph 3 shall be assessed, in particular, by STECF, or a similar independent scientific body recognised at Union or international level. If that assessment indicates that those closure areas are not in line with their objectives, Member States shall review those closure areas in light of those recommendations.

5. Where the closure areas referred to in paragraph 3 of this Article affect fishing vessels of several Member States, the Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 8 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 and Article 18 of this Regulation and on the basis of the best available scientific advice, establishing the closure areas concerned.