Brussels, 07/04/2016 (Agence Europe) - The inter-institutional agreement on standards for technical specificities for inland riverboats struck by the European Parliament, the Council of the EU and the European Commission, was adopted by the EP Transport and Tourism Committee during the vote (43 votes in favour, 2 against, with 2 abstentions) on Thursday 17 March.
The agreement focuses on the draft directive to abrogate the 2006/87/EC directive on technical specificities for inland riverboats. The new directive therefore includes certification for Union authorisation for all boats sailing on inland waterways. The certificate will be based on the standards established by the new Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine (CCNR) set up on 3 June 2015 (see EUROPE 11333). There are numerous technical standards and these affect a variety of different areas such as the manoeuvrability of boats and installing steering and propeller systems (see EUROPE 11515).
The agreement still needs to be approved by all MPs during a plenary session vote but no date has as yet been set for this. The Committee of Permanent Representatives (“Coreper”) approved the agreement on 23 March and it now has to be taken to a Council of Ministers level. (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)