Judgment of the Court (Sixth Chamber) of 11 February 2021 (request for a preliminary ruling from the Court of Appeal — Ireland) — Criminal proceedings against K. M.

(Case C-77/20) (1)

(Reference for a preliminary ruling - Common fisheries policy - Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 - Control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the common fisheries policy - Use on board a fishing vessel of equipment which is capable of automatically grading fish by size - Article 89 - Measures to ensure compliance - Article 90 - Criminal sanctions - Principle of proportionality)

(2021/C 128/05)

Language of the case: English

Referring court

Court of Appeal

Parties in the main proceedings

K. M.

Other party: Director of Public Prosecutions

Operative part of the judgment

Articles 89 and 90 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1224/2009 of 20 November 2009 establishing a Community control system for ensuring compliance with the rules of the common fisheries policy, amending Regulations (EC) No 847/96, (EC) No 2371/2002, (EC) No 811/2004, (EC) No 768/2005, (EC) No 2115/2005, (EC) No 2166/2005, (EC) No 388/2006, (EC) No 509/2007, (EC) No 676/2007, (EC) No 1098/2007, (EC) No 1300/2008, (EC) No 1342/2008 and repealing Regulations (EEC) No 2847/93, (EC) No 1627/94 and (EC) No 1966/2006, read in the light of the principle of proportionality enshrined in Article 49(3) of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, must be interpreted as meaning that, subject to the verifications which it is for the referring court to carry out, they do not preclude a national provision which, to penalise a breach of Article 32 of Council Regulation (EC) No 850/98 of 30 March 1998 for the conservation of fishery resources through technical measures for the protection of juveniles of marine organisms, as amended by Regulation (EU) No 227/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 March 2013, provides for not only the imposition of a fine but also the mandatory forfeiture of the catches and the prohibited or non-compliant fishing gear found on board the vessel concerned.

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(1)  OJ C 137, 27.4.2020.