Fisheries - Regulation (EC) No 494/2002 - Conservation of the resources of the sea - Legal basis - Principle of non-discrimination - Obligation to state reasons.

Judgment of the Court of First Instance (Fourth Chamber) of 10 May 2007 – Spain v Commission (Case T-99/05) Fisheries – Regulation (EC) No 494/2002 – Conservation of the resources of the sea – Legal basis – Principle of non-discrimination – Obligation to state reasons 1.                     Acts of the institutions – Choice of legal basis – Criteria – Commission regulation for the recovery of the stock of hake (Council Regulation No 3760/92, Art. 15(1), and No 850/98, Art. 45(1); Commission Regulation No 494/2002) (see paras 21-26) 2.                     Fisheries – Conservation of the resources of the sea – Regulation No 850/98 (Council Regulation No 850/98, Art. 45(1)) (see para. 27) 3.                     Fisheries – Conservation of the resources of the sea – Commission regulation for the recovery of the stock of hake (Council Regulation No 850/98; Commission Regulation No 494/2002) (see paras 28-31) 4.                     Fisheries – Conservation of the resources of the sea – Commission regulation for the recovery of the stock of hake (Commission Regulation No 494/2002 Art. 2(2)) (see paras 43-45) 5.                     Acts of the institutions – Statement of reasons – Obligation – Scope (Art. 253 EC) (see paras 59-61) Re: ACTION for annulment of Commission Regulation (EC) No 494/2002 of 19 March 2002 establishing additional technical measures for the recovery of the stock of hake in ICES sub-areas III, IV, V, VI and VII and ICES divisions VIII a, b, d, e (OJ 2002 L 77, p. 8) Operative part The Court: Dismisses the action; Orders the Kingdom of Spain to bear its own costs and to pay those of the Commission.