Directive 2002/59/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 June 2002 establishing a Community vessel traffic monitoring and information system and repealing Council Directive 93/75/EEC
Date: 2002-06-27

num: Article 1
title: Purpose
paragraphs: The purpose of this Directive is to establish in the Community a vessel traffic monitoring and information system with a view to enhancing the safety and efficiency of maritime traffic, improving the response of authorities to incidents, accidents or potentially dangerous situations at sea, including search and rescue operations, and contributing to a better prevention and detection of pollution by ships.
Member States shall monitor and take all necessary and appropriate measures to ensure that the masters, operators or agents of ships, as well as shippers or owners of dangerous or polluting goods carried on board such ships, comply with the requirements under this Directive.
num: Article 2
title: Scope
paragraphs: 1. This Directive applies to ships of 300 gross tonnage and upwards, unless stated otherwise.
2. This Directive shall not apply to:
(a) warships, naval auxiliaries and other ships owned or operated by a Member State and used for non-commercial public service;
(b) fishing vessels, traditional ships and recreational craft with a length of less than 45 metres;
(c) bunkers below 5000 tons, ships' stores and equipment for use on board ships.
num: Article 3
title: Definitions
paragraphs: For the purpose of this Directive
(a) "Relevant international instruments" means the following instruments:
- MARPOL means the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 and the 1978 Protocol thereto;
- SOLAS means the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, together with the protocols and amendments thereto;
- the International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships, 1969;
- the International Convention relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of Oil Pollution Casualties, 1969 and its 1973 Protocol relating to Intervention on the High Seas in Cases of Pollution by Substances other than Oil;
- SAR Convention means the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue, 1979;
- ISM Code means the International Safety Management Code;
- IMDG Code means the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code;
- IBC Code means the IMO International Code for the construction and equipment of ships carrying dangerous chemicals in bulk;
- IGC Code means the IMO International Code for the construction and equipment of ships carrying liquefied gases in bulk;
- BC Code means the IMO Code of Safe Practice for Solid Bulk Cargoes;
- INF Code means the IMO Code for the Safe Carriage of Irradiated Nuclear Fuel, Plutonium and High-Level Radioactive Wastes in Flasks on board Ships;
- IMO Resolution A.851(20) means International Maritime Organisation Resolution 851(20) entitled "General principles for ship reporting systems and ship reporting requirements, including guidelines for reporting incidents involving dangerous goods, harmful substances and/or marine pollutants";
(b) "operator" means the owner or manager of a ship;
(c) "agent" means any person mandated or authorised to supply information on behalf of the operator of the ship;
(d) "shipper" means any person by whom or in whose name or on whose behalf a contract of carriage of goods has been concluded with a carrier;
(e) "company" means a company within the meaning of Regulation 1(2) of Chapter IX of the SOLAS Convention;
(f) "ship" means any sea-going vessel or craft;
(g) "dangerous goods" means:
- goods classified in the IMDG Code,
- dangerous liquid substances listed in Chapter 17 of the IBC Code,
- liquefied gases listed in Chapter 19 of the IGC Code,
- solids referred to in Appendix B of the BC Code.
Also included are goods for the carriage of which appropriate preconditions have been laid down in accordance with paragraph 1.1.3 of the IBC Code or paragraph 1.1.6 of the IGC Code;
(h) "polluting goods" means:
- oils as defined in Annex I to the MARPOL Convention,
- noxious liquid substances as defined in Annex II to the MARPOL Convention,
- harmful substances as defined in Annex III to the MARPOL Convention;
(i) "cargo transport unit" means a road freight vehicle, a railway freight wagon, a freight container, a road tank vehicle, a railway wagon, or portable tank;
(j) "address" means the name and the communication links whereby contact may, where necessary, be made with the operator, agent, port authority, competent authority or any other authorised person or body in possession of detailed information regarding the ship's cargo;
(k) "competent authorities" means the authorities and organisations designated by Member States to receive and pass on information reported pursuant to this Directive;
(l) "port authority" means the competent authority or body designated by Member States for each port to receive and pass on information reported pursuant to this Directive;
(m) "place of refuge" means a port, the part of a port or another protective berth or anchorage or any other sheltered area identified by a Member State for accommodating ships in distress;
(n) "coastal station" means any of the following, designated by Member States pursuant to this Directive: a vessel traffic service; a shore-based installation responsible for a mandatory reporting system approved by the IMO; or a body responsible for coordinating search and rescue operations or operations to tackle pollution at sea;
(o) "vessel traffic service (VTS)" means a service designed to improve the safety and efficiency of vessel traffic and to protect the environment, which has the capability to interact with the traffic and to respond to traffic situations developing in the VTS area;
(p) "ship's routing system" means any system of one or more routes or routing measures aimed at reducing the risk of casualties; it includes traffic separation schemes, two-way routes, recommended tracks, areas to be avoided, inshore traffic zones, roundabouts, precautionary areas and deep-water routes;
(q) "traditional ships" means all kinds of historical ships and their replicas including those designed to encourage and promote traditional skills and seamanship, that together serve as living cultural monuments, operated according to traditional principles of seamanship and technique;
(r) "casualty" means a casualty within the meaning of the IMO Code for the investigation of marine casualties and incidents.
num: Article 4
paragraphs: Notification prior to entry into ports of the Member States
1. The operator, agent or master of a ship bound for a port of a Member State shall notify the information in Annex I(1) to the port authority:
(a) at least twenty-four hours in advance; or
(b) at the latest, at the time the ship leaves the previous port, if the voyage time is less than twenty-four hours; or
(c) if the port of call is not known or it is changed during the voyage, as soon as this information is available.
2. Ships coming from a port outside the Community and bound for a port of a Member State carrying dangerous or polluting goods, shall comply with the notification obligations of Article 13.
num: Article 5
paragraphs: Monitoring of ships entering the area of mandatory ship reporting systems
1. The Member State concerned shall monitor and take all necessary and appropriate measures to ensure that all ships entering the area of a mandatory ship reporting system, adopted by the IMO according to Regulation 11 Chapter V of the SOLAS Convention and operated by one or more States, of which at least one is a Member State, in accordance with the relevant guidelines and criteria developed by the IMO, comply with that system in reporting the information required without prejudice to additional information required by a Member State in accordance with IMO Resolution A.851(20).
2. When submitting a new mandatory ship reporting system to the IMO for adoption or a proposal to amend an existing reporting system, a Member State shall include in its proposal at least the information referred to in Annex I(4).
num: Article 6
title: Use of automatic identification systems
paragraphs: 1. Any ship calling at a port of a Member State must, in accordance with the timetable set out in Annex II(I), be fitted with an AIS which meets the performance standards drawn up by the IMO.
2. Ships fitted with an AIS, shall maintain it in operation at all times except where international agreements, rules or standards provide for the protection of navigational information.
num: Article 7
title: Use of ship's routing systems
paragraphs: 1. Member States shall monitor and take all necessary and appropriate measures to ensure that all ships entering the area of a mandatory ships' routing system adopted by the IMO according to Regulation 10 Chapter V of the SOLAS Convention and operated by one or more States, of which at least one is a Member State, use the system in accordance with the relevant guidelines and criteria developed by the IMO.
2. When implementing a ship's routing system, which has not been adopted by the IMO, under their responsibility, Member States shall take into account, wherever possible, the guidelines and criteria developed by the IMO and promulgate all information necessary for the safe and effective use of the ship's routing system.
num: Article 8
paragraphs: Monitoring of the compliance of ships with vessel traffic services
Member States shall monitor and take all necessary and appropriate measures to ensure that:
(a) ships entering the area of applicability of a VTS operated by one or more States, of which at least one is a Member State, within their territorial sea and based on the guidelines developed by the IMO, participate in, and comply with, the rules of that VTS;
(b) ships flying the flag of a Member State or ships bound for a port of a Member State and entering the area of applicability of such a VTS outside the territorial sea of a Member State and based on the guidelines developed by the IMO, comply with the rules of that VTS;
(c) ships flying the flag of a third State and not bound for a port in a Member State entering a VTS area outside the territorial sea of a Member State, follow the rules of that VTS wherever possible. Member States should report to the flag State concerned any apparent serious breach of those rules in such a VTS area.
num: Article 9
paragraphs: Infrastructure for ship reporting systems, ships' routing systems and vessel traffic services
1. Member States shall take all necessary and appropriate measures to provide themselves gradually, on a time-schedule compatible with the timetable set out in Annex II(I), with appropriate equipment and shore-based installations for receiving and utilising the AIS information taking into account a necessary range for transmission of the reports.
2. The process of building up all necessary equipment and shore-based installations for implementing this Directive shall be completed by the end of 2007. Member States shall ensure that the appropriate equipment for relaying the information to, and exchanging it between, the national systems of Member States shall be operational at the latest one year thereafter.
3. Member States shall ensure that the coastal stations in charge of monitoring the compliance with vessel traffic services and ships' routing systems have sufficient and properly qualified staff available, as well as appropriate means of communication and ship monitoring and that they operate in accordance with the relevant IMO guidelines.
num: Article 10
title: Voyage data recorder systems
paragraphs: 1. Member States shall monitor and take all necessary and appropriate measures to ensure that ships calling at a port of a Member State are fitted with a voyage data recorder (VDR) system in accordance with the rules laid down in Annex II(II). Any exemptions granted to ro-ro ferries or high-speed passenger craft under Article 4(1)(d) of Council Directive 1999/35/EC of 29 April 1999 on a system of mandatory surveys for the safe operation of regular ro-ro ferry and high-speed passenger craft services(8) shall terminate on 5 August 2002.
2. Data which have been collected from a VDR system shall be made available to the Member State concerned in the event of an investigation following a casualty occurring within the waters under the jurisdiction of a Member State. Member States shall ensure that such data are used in the investigation and are properly analysed. Member States shall ensure that the findings of the investigation are published as soon as possible after its conclusion.
num: Article 11
title: Casualty investigation
paragraphs: Without prejudice to Article 12 of Directive 1999/35/EC, Member States shall comply with the provisions of the IMO Code for the investigation of marine casualties and incidents when conducting any marine casualty or incident investigation involving a ship referred to in this Directive. Member States shall cooperate in the investigation of marine casualties and incidents involving ships flying their flag.
num: Article 12
title: Obligations on the shipper
paragraphs: No dangerous or polluting goods may be offered for carriage or taken on board any ship, irrespective of its size, in a port of a Member State unless a declaration has been delivered to the master or operator containing the information listed in Annex I(2).
It shall be the duty of the shipper to deliver to the master or operator such declaration and to ensure that the shipment offered for carriage is indeed the one declared in compliance with the first subparagraph.
num: Article 13
paragraphs: Notification of dangerous or polluting goods carried on board
1. The operator, agent or master of a ship, irrespective of its size, carrying dangerous or polluting goods and leaving a port of a Member State shall, at the latest at the moment of departure, notify the information indicated in Annex I(3) to the competent authority designated by that Member State.
2. The operator, agent or master of a ship, irrespective of its size, carrying dangerous or polluting goods coming from a port located outside the Community and bound for a port of a Member State or an anchorage located in a Member State's territorial waters shall, at the latest upon departure from the loading port or as soon as the port of destination or the location of the anchorage is known, if this information is unavailable at the moment of departure, notify the information indicated in Annex I(3) to the competent authority of the Member State in which the first port of destination or anchorage is located.
3. Member States may put in place a procedure authorising the operator, agent or master of a ship referred to in paragraphs 1 and 2 to notify the information listed in Annex I(3) to the port authority of the port of departure or destination in the Community, as appropriate.
The procedure put in place must ensure that the competent authority has access to the information indicated in Annex I(3) at all times should it be needed. To this end, the port authority concerned shall retain the information listed in Annex I(3) long enough for it to be usable in the event of an incident or accident at sea. The port authority shall take the necessary measures to provide this information electronically and without delay to the competent authority, 24 hours a day upon request.
4. The operator, agent or master of the ship must communicate the cargo information indicated in Annex I(3) to the port authority or the competent authority.
The information must be transferred electronically whenever practicable. The electronic message exchange must use the syntax and procedures set out in Annex III.
num: Article 14
paragraphs: Computerised exchange of data between Member States
Member States shall cooperate to ensure the interconnection and interoperability of the national systems used to manage the information indicated in Annex I.
Communication systems set up pursuant to the first subparagraph must display the following features:
(a) data exchange must be electronic and enable messages notified in accordance with Article 13 to be received and processed;
(b) the system must allow information to be transmitted 24 hours a day;
(c) each Member State must be able, upon request, to send information on the ship and the dangerous or polluting goods on board without delay to the competent authority of another Member State.
num: Article 15
title: Exemptions
paragraphs: 1. Member States may exempt scheduled services performed between ports located on their territory from the requirement laid down in Article 13 where the following conditions are met:
(a) the company operating the scheduled services referred to above keeps and updates a list of the ships concerned and sends it to the competent authority concerned,
(b) for each voyage performed, the information listed in Annex I(3) is kept available for the competent authority upon request. The company must establish an internal system to ensure that, upon request 24 hours a day and without delay, the said information can be sent to the competent authority electronically, in accordance with Article 13(4).
2. When an international scheduled service is operated between two or more States, of which at least one is a Member State, any of the Member States involved may request of the other Member States that an exemption be granted to that service. All Member States involved, including the coastal States concerned, shall collaborate in granting an exemption to the service concerned in accordance with the conditions laid down in paragraph 1.
3. Member States shall periodically check that the conditions laid down in paragraphs 1 and 2 are being met. Where at least one of these conditions is no longer being met, Member States shall immediately withdraw the privilege of the exemption from the company concerned.
4. Member States shall communicate to the Commission a list of companies and ships granted exemption under this Article, as well as any updating of that list.
num: Article 16
paragraphs: Transmission of information concerning certain ships
1. Ships meeting the criteria set out below shall be considered to be ships posing a potential hazard to shipping or a threat to maritime safety, the safety of individuals or the environment:
(a) ships which, in the course of their voyage:
- have been involved in incidents or accidents at sea as referred to in Article 17; or
- have failed to comply with the notification and reporting requirements imposed by this Directive; or
- have failed to comply with the applicable rules in ships' routing systems and VTS placed under the responsibility of a Member State;
(b) ships in respect of which there is proof or presumptive evidence of deliberate discharges of oil or other infringements of the MARPOL Convention in waters under the jurisdiction of a Member State;
(c) ships which have been refused access to ports of the Member States or which have been the subject of a report or notification by a Member State in accordance with Annex I-1 to Council Directive 95/21/EC of 19 June 1995 on port State control of shipping(9).
2. Coastal stations holding relevant information on the ships referred to in paragraph 1 shall communicate it to the coastal stations concerned in the other Member States located along the planned route of the ship.
3. Member States shall ensure that the information communicated to them under paragraph 2 is transmitted to the relevant port authorities and/or any other authority designated by the Member State. Within the limits of their available staff capacity, Member States shall carry out any appropriate inspection or verification in their ports either on their own initiative or at the request of another Member State, without prejudice to any port State control obligation. They shall inform all Member States concerned of the results of the action they take.
num: Article 17
paragraphs: Reporting of incidents and accidents at sea
1. Without prejudice to international law and with a view to preventing or mitigating any significant threat to maritime safety, the safety of individuals or the environment, Member States shall monitor and take all appropriate measures to ensure that the master of a ship sailing within their search and rescue region/exclusive economic zone or equivalent, immediately reports to the coastal station responsible for that geographical area:
(a) any incident or accident affecting the safety of the ship, such as collision, running aground, damage, malfunction or breakdown, flooding or shifting of cargo, any defects in the hull or structural failure;
(b) any incident or accident which compromises shipping safety, such as failures likely to affect the ship's manoeuvrability or seaworthiness, or any defects affecting the propulsion system or steering gear, the electrical generating system, navigation equipment or communications equipment;
(c) any situation liable to lead to pollution of the waters or shore of a Member State, such as the discharge or threat of discharge of polluting products into the sea;
(d) any slick of polluting materials and containers or packages seen drifting at sea.
2. The report message sent in application of paragraph 1 shall include at least the ship's identity, its position, the port of departure, the port of destination, the address from which information may be obtained on the dangerous and polluting goods carried on board, the number of persons aboard, details of the incident and any relevant information referred to in IMO Resolution A.851(20).
num: Article 18
paragraphs: Measures in the event of exceptionally bad weather
1. Where the competent authorities designated by Member States consider, in the event of exceptionally bad weather or sea conditions, that there is a serious threat of pollution of their shipping areas or coastal zones, or of the shipping areas or coastal zones of other States, or that the safety of human life is in danger:
(a) they should, where possible, fully inform the master of a ship which is in the port area concerned, and intends to enter or leave that port, of the sea state and weather conditions and, when relevant and possible, of the danger they may present to his/her ship, the cargo, the crew and the passengers;
(b) they may take, without prejudice to the duty of assistance to ships in distress and in accordance with Article 20, any other appropriate measures, which may include a recommendation or a prohibition either for a particular ship or for ships in general to enter or leave the port in the areas affected, until it has been established that there is no longer a risk to human life and/or to the environment;
(c) they shall take appropriate measures to limit as much as possible or, if necessary, prohibit the bunkering of ships in their territorial waters.
2. The master shall inform the company of the appropriate measures or recommendations referred to under paragraph 1. These do not however prejudice the decision of the master on the basis of his/her professional judgement corresponding to the SOLAS Convention. Where the decision taken by the master of the ship is not in accordance with the measures referred to under paragraph 1, he/she shall inform the competent authorities of the reasons for his/her decision.
3. The appropriate measures or recommendations, referred to under paragraph 1, shall be based upon a sea state and weather forecast provided by a qualified meteorological information service recognised by the Member State.
num: Article 19
paragraphs: Measures relating to incidents or accidents at sea
1. In the event of incidents or accidents at sea as referred to in Article 17, Member States shall take all appropriate measures consistent with international law, where necessary to ensure the safety of shipping and of persons and to protect the marine and coastal environment.
Annex IV sets out a non-exhaustive list of measures available to Member States pursuant to this Article.
2. The operator, the master of the ship and the owner of the dangerous or polluting goods carried on board must, in accordance with national and international law, cooperate fully with the competent national authorities, at the latter's request, with a view to minimising the consequences of an incident or accident at sea.
3. The master of a ship to which the provisions of the ISM Code are applicable shall, in accordance with that Code, inform the company of any incident or accident, as referred to in Article 17(1), which occurs at sea. As soon as it has been informed of such a situation, the company must contact the competent coastal station and place itself at its disposal as necessary.
num: Article 20
title: Places of refuge
paragraphs: Member States, having consulted the parties concerned, shall draw up, taking into account relevant guidelines by IMO, plans to accommodate, in the waters under their jurisdiction, ships in distress. Such plans shall contain the necessary arrangements and procedures taking into account operational and environmental constraints, to ensure that ships in distress may immediately go to a place of refuge subject to authorisation by the competent authority. Where the Member State considers it necessary and feasible, the plans must contain arrangements for the provision of adequate means and facilities for assistance, salvage and pollution response.
Plans for accommodating ships in distress shall be made available upon demand. Member States shall inform the Commission by 5 February 2004 of the measures taken in application of the first paragraph.
num: Article 21
title: Information of the parties concerned
paragraphs: 1. The competent coastal station of the Member State concerned shall, as necessary, broadcast within the relevant areas any incident or accident notified under Article 17(1) and information with regard to any ship that poses a threat to maritime safety, the safety of individuals or the environment.
2. Competent authorities holding information notified in accordance with Articles 13 and 17 shall make adequate arrangements to provide such information at any time upon request for safety reasons by the competent authority of another Member State.
3. Any Member State the competent authorities of which have been informed, pursuant to this Directive or in some other way, of facts which involve or increase the risk for another Member State of a hazard being posed to certain shipping areas and coastal zones, shall take the appropriate measures to inform any interested Member State thereof as soon as possible and consult it regarding the action being envisaged. Where appropriate, Member States shall cooperate with a view to pooling the arrangements for joint action.
Each Member State shall make the necessary arrangements to use fully the reports which ships are required to transmit to them pursuant to Article 17.
num: Article 22
paragraphs: Designation and publication of a list of competent bodies
1. Each Member State shall designate the competent authorities, port authorities and coastal stations to which the notifications required by this Directive must be made.
2. Each Member State shall ensure that the shipping industry is properly informed and regularly updated, notably via nautical publications, regarding the authorities and stations designated pursuant to paragraph 1, including where appropriate the geographical area for which they are competent, and the procedures laid down for notifying the information required by this Directive.
3. Member States shall send the Commission a list of the authorities and stations they designate pursuant to paragraph 1, as well as any updating thereof.
num: Article 23
paragraphs: Cooperation between Member States and the Commission
Member States and the Commission shall cooperate in attaining the following objectives:
(a) making optimum use of the information notified pursuant to this Directive, notably by developing appropriate telematic links between coastal stations and port authorities with a view to exchanging data relating to ships' movements, their estimated times of arrival in ports and their cargo;
(b) developing and enhancing the effectiveness of telematic links between the coastal stations of the Member States with a view to obtaining a clearer picture of traffic, improving the monitoring of ships in transit, and harmonising and, as far as possible, streamlining the reports required from ships en route;
(c) extending the cover of and/or updating the Community vessel traffic monitoring and information system with a view to enhanced identification and monitoring of ships. To this end, the Member States and the Commission shall work together to put in place, where necessary, mandatory reporting systems, mandatory vessel traffic services and appropriate ships' routing systems, with a view to submitting them to the IMO for approval;
(d) drawing up, if appropriate, concerted plans to accommodate ships in distress.
num: Article 24
title: Confidentiality of information
paragraphs: Member States shall, in accordance with their national legislation, take the necessary measures to ensure the confidentiality of information sent to them pursuant to this Directive.
num: Article 25
paragraphs: Monitoring the implementation of this Directive and sanctions
1. Member States shall carry out regular inspections and any other action required to check the functioning of the shore-based telematic systems set up to meet the requirements of this Directive, and in particular their capacity to meet the requirements of receiving or sending without delay, 24 hours a day, information notified pursuant to Articles 13 and 15.
2. Member States shall lay down a system of sanctions for the breach of national provisions adopted pursuant to this Directive and shall take all the measures necessary to ensure that those sanctions are applied. The sanctions thus provided shall be effective, proportionate and dissuasive.
3. Member States shall, without delay, inform the flag State and any other State concerned of measures taken in respect of ships not flying their flag pursuant to Articles 16 and 19 and to paragraph 2 of this Article.
4. Where a Member State finds, on the occasion of an incident or accident at sea referred to in Article 19, that the company has not been able to establish and maintain a link with the ship or with the coastal stations concerned, it shall so inform the State which issued the ISM document of compliance and associated safety management certificate, or on whose behalf it was issued.
Where the seriousness of the failure shows the existence of a major incidence of non-compliance in the functioning of the safety management system of a company established in a Member State, the Member State which issued the document of compliance or safety management certificate to the ship shall immediately take the necessary measures against the company concerned with the view to having the document of compliance and the associated safety management certificate withdrawn.
num: Article 26
title: Evaluation
paragraphs: 1. Member States must report to the Commission by 5 February 2007 on the progress in implementing this Directive and, in particular, the provisions of Articles 9, 10, 18, 20, 22, 23 and 25. Member States must report to the Commission by 31 December 2009 on the full implementation of the Directive.
2. On the basis of the reports referred to in paragraph 1, the Commission shall report to the European Parliament and to the Council six months thereafter on the implementation of this Directive. In its reports, the Commission shall ascertain whether and to what extent the provisions of this Directive as implemented by the Member States are helping to increase the safety and efficiency of maritime transport and prevent pollution by ships.
3. The Commission shall examine the need for, and feasibility of, measures at Community level aimed at facilitating the recovery of, or compensation for, costs and damage incurred for the accommodation of ships in distress, including appropriate requirements for insurance or other financial security
The Commission shall report to the European Parliament and to the Council by 5 February 2007 the results of such examination.
num: Article 27
title: Amendment procedure
paragraphs: 1. The definitions in Article 3, the references to Community and IMO instruments and the Annexes may be amended in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 28(2) in order to bring them into line with Community or international law which have been adopted, amended or brought into force, insofar as such amendments do not broaden the scope of this Directive.
2. Furthermore, Annexes I, III and IV may be amended in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 28(2), in the light of experience gained with this Directive, in so far as such amendments do not broaden the scope of this Directive.
num: Article 28
title: Committee procedure
paragraphs: 1. The Commission shall be assisted by a Committee.
2. Where reference is made to this paragraph, Articles 5 and 7 of Decision 1999/468/EC shall apply, having regard to the provisions of Article 8 thereof.
The period laid down in Article 5(6) of Decision 1999/468/EC shall be set at three months.
3. The Committee shall adopt its rules of procedure.
num: Article 29
paragraphs: 1. Member States shall adopt the laws, regulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this Directive by 5 February 2004 at the latest. They shall forthwith inform the Commission thereof.
When Member States adopt these measures, they shall contain a reference to this Directive or shall be accompanied by such reference on the occasion of their official publication. The methods of making such a reference shall be laid down by Member States.
2. Member States shall notify to the Commission the provisions of their national legislation which they adopted in the field governed by this Directive.
num: Article 30
paragraphs: Council Directive 93/75/EEC is hereby repealed as from 5 February 2004.
num: Article 31
paragraphs: This Directive shall enter into force on the day of its publication in the Official Journal of the European Communities.