COUNCIL REGULATION (EC) No 734/2008of 15 July 2008on the protection of vulnerable marine ecosystems in the high seas from the adverse impacts ofbottom fishing gearsTHE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,Having regard to the Treaty establishing the EuropeanCommunity, and in particular Article 37 thereof,Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,Having regard to the opinion of the European Parliament (1),Whereas:(1) The Community is a Contracting Party to the UnitedNations Convention on the Law of the Sea and to theAgreement on the implementation of the provisions ofthe United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of10 December 1982 relating to the Conservation andManagement of Straddling Fish Stocks and HighlyMigratory Fish Stocks. These international instrumentslay down the duty of States to cooperate on conservingthe living resources of the high seas, and prescribe thatsuch cooperation shall be pursued directly by States orthrough appropriate subregional or regional fisheriesman...