Court of Justice of the European Union

PRESS RELEASE No 59/21

Luxembourg, 15 April 2021

Judgment in Case C-733/19 Netherlands v Council and Parliament

The Court of Justice dismisses the action brought by the Netherlands against the ban on fishing by vessels using electric pulse trawls

The EU legislature has a wide discretion in this field and is not obliged to base its legislative choice on scientific and technical opinions only

In 2019, the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union adopted new rules on the conservation of fisheries resources and the protection of marine ecosystems. 1 Accordingly, certain destructive fishing gear or methods which use explosives, poison, stupefying substances, electric current, pneumatic hammers or other percussive instruments, towed devices and grabs for harvesting red coral or other types of coral and certain spear-guns are prohibited. However, the use of electric pulse trawl remains possible during a transitional period (until 30 June 2021) and under certain strict conditions. (...)