Brussels, 11/07/2005 (Agence Europe) - The Commission has sent reasoned opinions to several Member States for failing to transpose or for inadequately transposing EU law into national legislation in the field of maritime transport.
Passenger safety on board ship. The Commission has sent reasoned opinions to six Member States for failing to transpose directives on the safety of individuals travelling by ship. Slovakia, which is not a maritime state strictly speaking but which has a booming maritime register, was the subject of a double reasoned opinion for failure to transpose several directives before its membership on 1 May 2004. The directives were 98/18/EC and 2002/84/EC which make it compulsory for the flag state to carry out safety measures for passengers, as well as the implementation of an inspection regime and ship certification system. Furthermore, Austria, Finland, Portugal and Slovakia have received reasoned opinions concerning Directive 2003/24/EC which amends Directive 98/18/EC in order to take account, in European law, of changes made to international instruments, by above all integrating the new international IMO rules for safety applicable to high speed craft. Finally, Austria, Cyprus, Estonia, Portugal and Slovakia must transpose Directive 2003/25/EC the main aim of which is to make the Stockholm Agreement of 28 February 1996 compulsory for all Member States. The agreement, signed by eight countries in the north of Europe, including seven Member States, foresees the application to RO-RO passenger ships of a stricter stability norm after damage is caused by a collision, for sea conditions that are more difficult than those foreseen by the SOLAS 90 standard.
Port reception facilities for ship-generated waste and cargo residues. Belgium and Hungary must comply with the provisions of the Directive 2000/59/EC which aims to improve the availability and use of port reception facilities for ship-generated waste and cargo residues, to reduce dumping at sea. The directive obliges the master of ships (information and delivery) to deliver their waste and Member States to provide facilities to treat this waste (facilities made available and coverage of costs).
Short Sea Shipping formalities. With the transposal of Directive 2002/6/EC on the reporting of formalities that are carried out when a ship arrives in and/or departs from European Union ports, Poland has adopted forms that are not in line with the international IMO-FAL standards (IMO standard format to facilitate international maritime traffic).