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1. Where the rules of a regional fisheries management organisation (RFMO) permit quota transfers or exchanges between the Contracting Parties to that RFMO, a Member State (‘the Member State concerned’) may discuss with a Contracting Party to that RFMO and establish a possible outline of an intended quota transfer or exchange, as appropriate. The Member State concerned shall notify the Commission of that outline.

2. On being notified in accordance with paragraph 1, the Commission may endorse the outline of the intended quota transfer or exchange. If the Commission endorses that outline, it shall express, without undue delay, the consent to be bound by the intended quota transfer or exchange. It shall notify the secretariat of the relevant RFMO of the transfer or exchange in accordance with the rules of that RFMO.

3. The Commission shall inform the Member States of any agreed quota transfer or exchange.

4. The fishing opportunities received or transferred by the Member State concerned under the quota transfer or exchange shall be deemed to be quotas added to, or deducted from, its allocation as of the moment when the transfer or exchange takes effect under the terms of the agreement with the relevant Contracting Party to the RFMO or in accordance with the rules of the relevant RFMO, as appropriate. Such transfers or exchanges shall not affect the distribution key for allocating fishing opportunities among Member States in accordance with the principle of relative stability of fishing activities.