In compliance with article 5 of Regulation (EC) No. 2371/2002, the present Regulation establishes a multiannual plan for the sustainable exploitation of the sole stock living in the Bay of Biscay, which corresponds to the area of the sea delineated by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) as Divisions VIIIa and VIIIb. The objective of the plan is to ensure exploitation of Bay of Biscay sole that provides sustainable economic, environmental and social conditions. The Reg