03/12/2014 (Agence Europe) - Approval of STCW-F maritime convention. The Council has agreed that member states can be members of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel (STCW-F). European ministers of transport adopted an agreement in this connection on Tuesday 2 December. This involves an international maritime agreement that has existed since 2012 and which is applicable to sailors, officers, engineers and radio operators working on boats that are more than 24 m long. The EU as a body cannot join this convention but Denmark, Spain, Latvia and Lithuania are already members of it. The agreement seeks to increase membership of the convention. Parliament still has to give its agreement on the issue. (MD)