Commission Regulation (EC) No 1489/97 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Regulation (EEC) No. 2847/93 as regards satellite-based vessel monitoring systems.

This Regulation lays down detailed rules under which Member States are to establish and operate satellite-based vessel monitoring systems. Each Member State shall establish a list of the fishing vessels flying its flag and registered in the Community to which VMS applies as well as a list of the fishing vessels belonging to the categories which are exempted from the VMS and shall communicate them to the Commission and, on request, to the other Member States. The satellite-tracking devices installed on board the fishing vessels shall ensure the automatic transmission to the fisheries monitoring centre of the flag Member State, at all times, of data relating to the vessel identification, the most recent geographical position of the vessel, with a position error which shall be less than 500 metres, and the date and time of the fixing of the said position of the vessel. In the event of technical failure or non-function of the satellite tracking device, the master or the owner of the vessel shall communicate at least every 24 hours, starting from the time that this event was detected, the data referred to in Article 3 and Article 4 by telex, by fax, by telephone message or by radio, via a radio station. (11 articles and 3 Annexes)