Brussels, 13/11/2003 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission has sent a motivated opinion to eight member states for failure to respect Community legislation on classification societies and/or state controls in ports. These provisions had been adopted after the sinking of the Erika and strengthen European legislation on maritime safety. The Commission feels that the eight member states have not guaranteed the transposition of two core directives into their national legislation. The member states should have adopted the provisions before 23 July 2003 and undertook, after the sinking of the Prestige, to implement these rules, stricter, in a rapid manner. With regards to the directive on classification, which sets out the measures to be applied by the member states and the inspection bodies, the inspection and certification of ships, a motivated opinion was sent to Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Greece, Finland and Portugal. The Commission also warned Greece, Finland and Portugal, as well as Italy and the Netherlands who have failed to transpose the Directive relating to state checks in port, directive that strengthens in the EU the control system of the state of port of ships flying the flag of other member states, based on standardised inspection, immobilisation and banning procedures.