During a second inter-institutional negotiation meeting ('trilogues'), representatives of the European Parliament and the Romanian Presidency of the Council of the European Union reached a provisional political agreement on Monday evening, 11 February, in respect of the repeal of Directive 2005/45/EC and the amendment of Directive 2008/106/EC regarding the minimum level of training for seafarers.
This agreement is in response to a proposal from the European Commission of last 24 May, in respect of which the Member States and MEPs had set out their negotiating positions in December and January respectively (see EUROPE 12151, 12170). A first trilogue identified the main points to be settled for this meeting on 11 February (see EUROPE 12183).
According to our information, the establishment of a European electronic database on seafarers' certificates, as requested by the European Parliament, has not been retained. On the other hand, MEPs did succeed in ensuring that account is taken of the ratification of the Maritime Labour Convention by third-party countries so that the diplomas awarded by them are recognised at EU level.
Moreover, the creation of a European maritime excellence diploma, recommended by the Parliament, is not mentioned in the body of the text but in a recital of principle. However, the Commission is invited to study the relevance of introducing such diplomas over the coming years.
In addition, while the Commission has proposed that the decision to open the procedure for the recognition of diplomas awarded by third-party countries should be taken by means of an implementing act, new wording was agreed. Therefore, once the Commission has taken the decision to open the procedure for the recognition of diplomas, it should adopt an implementing act to consider examining the third-party country's situation in regard of the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA).
Finally, it should be noted that in the event that no diploma issued by a third-party country is recognised in the EU within an eight-year period, the situation in that third-party country should be reviewed.
The agreement must now receive the formal go-ahead from the European Parliament and the EU Council. (Original version in French by Lucas Tripoteau)