EN    EN 
 
 
 EUROPEAN  
COMMISSION   
Brussels, XXX   
[…](2016) XXX  draft  
  
COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) …/...  
of XXX  
on procedures for watercraft identification under Directive 2013/53/EU of the European 
Parliament and of the Council on recreational craft and personal watercraft  
(Text with EEA relevance)    
EN 2   EN COMMISSION IMPLEMENTING REGULATION (EU) …/...  
of XXX  
on procedures for watercraft identification under Directive 2013/53/EU of the European 
Parliament and of the Council on recreational craft and personal watercraft  
(Text with EEA relevance)  
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,  
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioni ng of the European Union , 
Having regard to  Directive 2013/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 
November 2013 on recreational craft and personal watercraft and repealing Directive 
94/25/EC1, and in particular Article 49(1)(c) thereof,    
Whereas:  
(1) In order to ensure a  better  implementation of the coding system  required for watercraft 
identification pursuant to Directive 2013/53/EU , to facilitate the cooperation between 
Member Stat es and to increase transparency,  is necessary to lay down minimum rules 
regarding the procedure for the assignment and administration of the unique code of 
the manufacturer.  
(2) It is appropriate to establish that each Member State is responsible for designating a 
national authority or natio nal body  for assigning the unique code of the manufacturer  
which will be a key contact point for the assignment and administration of 
manufacturer's codes . 
(3) The measures provided for in this Regulation are in accordance with the opinion of the 
Recreational Craft Directive Committee set up by Article 50(1) of Directive 
2013/53/EU ,  
HAS ADOPTED THIS REGULATION:  
CHAPTER 1  
GENERAL  PROVISIONS  
Article 1  
Subject matter  
This Regulation lays down rules on watercraft identification, in particular  rules on assignment 
and administration  of manufacturer's codes.  
Article 2  
Definitions  
1. For the purpose of this Regulation, the following definitions shall apply:  
                                                 
1 OJ L 354, 28.12.2013 , p. 90.   
EN 3   EN (a) 'national  body ' means a body  appointed  by the national authority of each 
Member State  for assigning the unique code of the manufacturer;   
(b) 'country where the manufacturer is established'  means the country where the 
manufacturer  has its  regis tered office, in case of a legal person, or a permanent 
addres s, in case of a natural person ; 
(c) ‘national  register ’ means the register of each Member State  where the unique 
code of manufacturer for the manufacturers established in their territory  is 
recorded ;  
(d) 'third country register ’ means the register  of the Commission collaborative 
platform where  the unique code of ma nufacturer for manufacturers established 
in third countr ies is recorded;   
(e) 'Member State s register ’ means the compilation of national registers  in the 
Commission collaborative platform ; 
(f) 'notified bodies ' register ' means the  register  of the Commission collaborative 
platform where the post-construction assessment identification code  is 
recorded.  
 
CHAPTER 2  
COMPOSITION OF THE WATERCRAFT IDENTIFICATION NUMBER  
Article 3  
Watercraft identification number  
1. A watercraft identification number  (WIN ) shall consist of  the following elements  in 
the following order : 
(a) the country code of the manufacturer  indicating where the manufacturer is 
established ; 
(b) the unique code of the manufacturer assigned by the national  authority of a 
Member State ; however the same combination of characters to form a unique 
code for a manufacturer generated by a national authority or national body of 
one Member State may also be generated by a national authority or national 
body of another Member State with the dis tinctive element being the country 
code of the manufacturer ; 
(c) a unique serial  number  assigned by the manufacturer for identification of the 
watercraft and used only once by that manufacturer ; however the same 
combination of characters may be used also by an other manufacturer with the 
distinctive el ement being the combination with the unique code of 
manufacturer and the country code of the manufacturer;  
(d) month and year of production;  
(e) model year which corresponds to the year when the specific watercraft is 
intended to be placed on the market .  
2. The composition of the WIN shall comply with the second paragraph  of Point 2.1  of 
Annex I to Directive 2013/53/EU.  
  
EN 4   EN CHAPTER 3  
ASSIGNMENT AND ADMINISTRATION OF THE UNIQUE CODE OF THE 
MANUFACTURER  
Article 4  
Assignment of the  unique code of the manufacturer  
1. The unique code of the manufacturer shall be assigned by the nati onal authority or 
national body of the Member State following a request by a manufacturer or its 
authori zed representative  in accordance with Article 6 or Article 7.  
2. The unique code for a manufacturer shall be generated and assigned only once by the 
national authority or national body of a Member State.  Each manufacturer shall have 
only one unique code for use over the Union market.  
Article 5  
National authorit y for assigning the unique code of the manufacturer  
1. Each Member State shall designate the national authority or the national body 
responsible for assigning the unique code of the manufacturer .  
2. Each Member State shall communicate  to the Commission the national authority or 
the national body authorised for assigning the unique code of the manufacturer .  
Article 6 
Procedure for a ssignment of the unique code of the manufacturer  to a manufacturer 
established in a Union  Member State  
1. A manufacturer  shall , before placing a watercraft on the Union market , submit an 
application , in a language which can be easily understood by the authority where the 
application is introduced as determined by the authority, for the assignment of the 
unique code of the manufacturer , to the national  authority  or national  body  in the 
Member State which it  is established.  
2. The application referred to in paragraph 1 shall be accompanied by  a copy of a 
document that proves that the manufacturer is established  in its Member State,  in a 
language which can be easily understood by the authority where the application is 
introduced, as determined by the authority .  
3. The national authority  or national body , after having verified the application , shall 
assign the u nique code of the manufacturer  in compliance with  Article 4.  
4. Each Member State shall ensure that the unique code of the manufacturer is  
registered in their  national register . This data shall be made available to all Member 
States in the Member States' register . 
Article 7 
Procedure for assignment of the unique code of the manufacturer to a manufacturer 
established in a third country  
1. A manufacturer established in a third country  or its authorised representative  shall , 
before placing a watercraft on the Union market , submit an application , in a language  
EN 5   EN which can be easily understood by the authority wher e the application is introduced  
as determined by the authority, for the assignment of the unique code of the 
manufacturer to the national authority  or national  body  of the Member State , in 
which territory  the manufacturer intends to place  the watercraft on the market . That 
submission shall be made only in one Member State.  
2. The application referred to in paragraph 1  shall be accompanied by a copy of a 
document that proves that the manufacturer is established in that country , in a 
language which can be easily understood by the authority where the application is 
introduced,  as determined by the authority .  
3. Upon receipt of an application  from a  manu facturer , the national authority  or the 
national body of the Member State  shall verify in the  third country register  the 
availability of the codes combination in order to ensure that it is the first time  the 
manufacturer has submitted an application t o any Member State .  
4. After the verification  referred to in paragraph 3, t he national authority or the national 
body of the Member State  shall  insert the name and address of the manufacturer in 
the third country register  in order to indicate that the Member  State  is starting the 
assignment of the unique code of the manufacturer . 
5. The national authority or national body having verified  the application shall assign 
the unique code of the manufacturer  to the manufacturer  in compliance with Article 
4. A manufactu rer established in a third country shall be assigned only one unique 
code of manufacturer by the national authority of only one of the Member States.  
6. When assigning the unique code of the manufacturer to a manufacturer established in 
a third country, the national authority  or national body  shall  have  it registered  in the 
third country register . 
Article 8 
Procedure in case of post -construction assessment  
1. In case of post -construction assessment, referred to in Article s 19 and 23 of Directive 
2013/53/EU, where the notified body has to affix under his responsibility the 
watercraft identification number , the unique code of manufacturer  is indicated by the 
post-construction assessment identification code and shall be assign ed by the 
national authority of the Member State where the notified body is established.  
2. When assigning the post-construction assessment identification code  the notified 
bodies shall have it registered in the  notified bodies' register . 
Article 9  
Fees  
Member States may lay d own rules on fees to apply to  the assignment of the unique code of 
manufacturer.   
CHAPTER 4  
FINAL PROVISIONS  
Article  10 
Entry into force   
EN 6   EN This Regulatio n shall enter into force on the twentieth  day following the date of its 
publication in the Official Journal of the European Union . 
This Regulation shall be binding in its entirety and directly applicable in all Member States.  
Done at Brussels,  
 For the Commission  
 The President  
 Jean -Claude Juncker