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1. Member States may carry out inspection and surveillance activities in the framework of an International Joint Inspection and Surveillance Scheme (‘the Scheme’) covering the waters outside national jurisdiction in GSAs 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16, as defined in Annex I (‘the inspection and surveillance area’).

2. Member States may assign inspectors and inspection means and carry out inspections under the Scheme. The Commission or a body designated by it may also assign Union inspectors to the Scheme.

3. The Commission or a body designated by it shall coordinate the surveillance and inspection activities for the Union and may draw up, in coordination with the Member States concerned, a joint deployment plan to enable the Union to fulfil its obligation under the Scheme. Member States shall adopt the necessary measures to facilitate the implementation of those plans, particularly as regards the human and material resources required and the periods and geographical areas in which those resources are to be deployed.

4. Each Member State shall, not later than 31 October of each year, notify to the Commission or a body designated by it the list of the names of inspectors authorised to perform the inspection and surveillance in the area referred to in paragraph 1, as well as the names of the vessels and aircraft used for inspection and surveillance which they intend to assign to the Scheme for the following year. The Commission or a body designated by it shall send this information to the GFCM Secretariat by 1 December of each year or as soon as possible before the commencement of inspection activities.

5. Inspectors assigned to the Scheme shall carry a GFCM identity card issued by the competent authorities, which shall be in the form set out in Annex IV.

6. Vessels carrying out boarding and inspection duties in accordance with the Scheme shall fly a special flag or pennant, as described in Annex V.

7. Each Member State shall ensure that every inspection platform entitled to fly its flag operating in the area referred to in paragraph 1 maintains secure contact, daily where possible, with every other inspection platform operating in that area, to exchange information necessary to coordinate the activities.

8. Each Member State with an inspection or surveillance presence in the area referred to in paragraph 1 shall provide to each inspection platform, upon its entry into the area, a list of sightings established in accordance with Annex VII, of boardings and inspections it has conducted in the previous 10-day period, including dates, coordinates and any other relevant information.