Council Regulation (EC) No. 1543/2000 establishing a Community framework for the collection and management of the data needed to conduct the common fisheries policy.

To conduct the scientific evaluations needed for the common fisheries policy, complete data must be collected as regards the biology of the fish stocks, the fleets and their activities as well as related economic and social issues. On such basis, this Regulation establishes at Community level a framework for the collection and management of the data needed to evaluate the situation with respect to fishery resources and the fishing industry. Member States shall be in charge of data collection. The Regulation consists of three Titles and four Annexes. Title I lays down the general principles to be applied in matter of data collection and management. In accordance with article 3, Member States shall establish multiannual aggregated and science-based datasets incorporating biological and economic information. The methods used must be stable in time and standardized across the Community and must comply with relevant international provisions. Article 4 specifies the information which Member States shall collect in order to comply with this Regulation. Title II describes the procedure to be followed when establishing the content of programmes, both Community and national, relating to the collection and management of data. As referred to above, the following four Annexes are attached: (I) Minimum and extended programmes; (II) Reference species and fishing areas to be covered in the minimum and extended programmes; (III) The geographical areas referred to in Annex I; (IV) Data for economic monitoring of fishing enterprises and the processing industry (minimum programme).