Brussels, 13/12/2004 (Agence Europe) - On Friday, the Transport Council reached a unanimous political agreement on the proposed directive laying down technical requirements for vessels designed for inland navigation. At this stage, it is a partial agreement on the operational aspects of the proposal. The Council will take position on the annexes to the proposal at a later stage, once these are available in all languages. The objective of the proposal, which modifies directive 82/714/EEC, is to take account of technical requirements for this type of vessel, as recommended by the Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine, and to guarantee that Community certificates of conformity for these ships are valid for all Community inland waterways.