G/TBT/N/EU/524  
 
14 November 2017  
(17-6179) 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 telephone 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: grow-eu-tbt@ec.europa.eu  
Website: http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools -databases/tbt/en/  
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 applicable, 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 language(s) of the notified document: Draft 
Commission Implementing Regulation laying down technical criteria for electronic tags for 
marine equipment. (6 page(s), in English)   
6. Description of content: The draft Regulation lays down appropriate technical criteria as 
regards the design, performance, affixing and use of those electronic tags, which can be 
applied by economic operators producing marine equipment for the EU market and  for EU 
ships on a voluntary basis.  
7. Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where 
applicable:  
The purpose of Directive 2014/90/EU of the European Parl iament and of the Council of 
23 July 2014 on marine equipment and repealing Council Directive 96/98/EC (hereafter 
called 'the Marine Equipment 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 In ternational Maritime Organization (IMO). These 
instruments lay down specific requirements concerning the construction, performance and/or 
testing of equipment to be placed on board of ships. The Directive also aims to ensure the 
free movement of compliant equipment within the EU.  
The Marine Equipment Directive provided that "The Commission shall carry out a cost/benefit 
analysis concerning the use of the electronic tag as a supplement to, or a replacement of, 
the wheel mark."  
The study identified the follo wing positive impacts which are expected to result from the G/TBT/N/EU/524  
 
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  timely introduction of a (voluntary applicable) legal framework for electronic tagging:  
 Manufacturers should benefit from an improved prevention of counterfeiting;  
 Ship owners/operators should be able to carry out equipment traceability and stock 
control more easily;  
 Market surveillance authorities should benefit from direct and easy access to the 
relevant data bases, which will improve the validation checks of certificates.  
The EU also would like to underline that the legislator did not make the introduction of 
electronic tagging mandatory, leaving the decision whether to make use of its advantages to 
economic operators.  
8. Relevant documents:  Directive 2014/90/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council 
of 23 July 2014 on marine equipment and repealing Council Directive 96/98/EC  (OJ L 257, 
28.8.2014, p. 146 –185) 
http://eur -lex.europa.eu/LexU riServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:1997:046:0025:0056:EN:PDF  
Study on the possible introduction of elect ronic tags for marine equipment  
https://ec.europa.eu/transport/sites/transport/files/2017 -04-electronic -tag-marine -
equipment.pdf   
9. Proposed date of adoption:  March/April 2018  
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.)  
10. Final date for comments: 60 days from notification  
11. Texts available from: National 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: grow-eu-tbt@ec.europa.eu  
The text is available on the EU -TBT Website:  
http://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools -databases/tbt/en/  
https://members.wto.org/crnatta chments/2017/TBT/EEC/17_5081_00_e.pdf