Article 18 Coordination of restoration measures in marine ecosystems

1.   Member States whose national restoration plans include conservation measures to be adopted within the framework of the CFP shall make full use of the tools provided therein.

2.   Where the national restoration plans include measures that require submission of a joint recommendation through the regionalisation procedure under Article 18 of the Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, Member States preparing those national restoration plans shall, considering the deadlines provided for in Article 5 of this Regulation, initiate in a timely manner consultations with other Member States having a direct management interest affected by these measures and the relevant Advisory Councils under Article 18(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 to enable timely agreement on and submission of any joint recommendations. For that purpose, they shall also include in the national restoration plan the estimated timing of the consultation and of the submission of the joint recommendations.

3.   The Commission shall facilitate and monitor progress in the submission of joint recommendations under the CFP. Member States shall submit the joint recommendations on the conservation measures necessary to contribute to meeting the targets set in Article 5 at the latest 18 months before the respective deadline.

4.   In the absence of joint recommendations referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article before the respective deadline referred to in paragraph 3 of this Article, concerning conservation measures necessary for compliance with obligations under Union environmental legislation referred to in Article 11 of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013, the Commission may make full use of the tools provided for in Article 11(4) of that Regulation as and where appropriate under the conditions set out therein.