G/TBT/N/EU/246
14 October 2014 
(14-5876)  Page: 1/2
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade  Original: English
 
  NOTIFICATION 
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6 
 
1. Notifying Member: EUROPEAN UNION 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Article 3.2 and 7.2):    
2. Agency responsible: European Commission 
Name and address (including telephon e and fax numbers, email and website 
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above : 
European Commission 
EU-TBT Enquiry Point 
Fax:  +(32) 2 299 80 43 E-mail:  eu-tbt@ec.europa.eu   
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/tbt/   
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [ X ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:  
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applic able, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable): Marine equipment 
(including inter alia life-saving appliances, pollution prevention equipment, fire protection 
equipment, navigation equipment, radio communication equipment) 
5. Title, number of pages and langua ge(s) of the notified document: Draft Commission 
Directive amending Council Directive 96/98/EC on Marine Equipment (3 pages + Annex 
134 pages, in English) 
6. Description of content:  The draft Directive updates the Technical Annex of Directive 
96/98/EC on Marine Equipment in Order to Adapt it to Changes in the Relevant International Instruments. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable: 
The purpose of this Directive is to enhance safety at sea and the prevention of marine 
pollution through the uniform application of the relevant international instruments adopted 
under the auspices of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) which lay down 
specific requirements concerning the construction, performance and/or testing of equipment to be placed on board ships and to ensure the free movement of such 
equipment within the EU. These international instruments include, in particular: the 1966 
International Convention on Load Lines (LL 66); the 1972 Convention on the International 
Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (Colreg); the 1973 International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (Marpol); the 1974 International Convention for 
the Safety of Life at Sea (Solas); the 2004 International Convention for the Control and 
Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments (BWMC).  
8. Relevant documents:  Council Directive 96/98/EC of 20 December 1996 on Marine 
Equipment (OJ L 46, 17.2.1997, p. 25–56)  
http://eur-
lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:1997:046:0025:0056:EN:PDF  G/TBT/N/EU/246 
 
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  9. Proposed date of adoption:   Mid 2015 
Proposed date of entry into force:   Entry into force 20 days from publication in the 
Official Journal of the EU (about a month after adoption approx.)  Transposition by EU 
Member States into their national legal orders: 1 year after the entry into force. 
10. Final date for comments: 60 days from notification 
11. Texts available from: Nati onal enquiry point [ ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers and email and website addresses, if available, of other body:  
European Commission 
EU-TBT Enquiry Point Fax:  + (32) 2 299 80 43 E-mail:  eu-tbt@ec.europa.eu  
The text is available on the EU-TBT Website :  http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/tbt/   
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2014/tbt/EEC/14_4608_00_e.pdf  
http://members.wto.org/crnattachments/2014/tbt/EEC/14_4608_01_e.pdf