ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
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DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(78)695
Vol.1978/0263

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COMMISSION CFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
COM(78)695 final
Brussels,20December1978
Draft
COUNCIL RECOMMENDATION
ontheratification oftheInternational Convention forSafeContainers
(CSC)
(submittedtotheCouncilbytheCommission )
C0MC78)695final .-
i
y

MIS
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
1. Thecontainer isanarticle oftransport equipment whose
safety hasnot-sofar-posed anymajor problems internationally .
However ,fear ofunilateral action "bycertain States in
laying down rules onthesafety ofthis means oftransport andthe
possible reperoussions ofthis action onthemovement ofcontainers and
thegoods contained inthem -andhenoe oninternational trade -
prompted theUnited Nations Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative
Organization towork outanInternational Convention for Safe Containers
(CS)which wasoonoluded inGeneva on2December 1972 *
TheConvention wasopen foraccession from 15January 1973
andafter therequisite number ofaccessions hadbeen obtained itentered
into force on6September 1977 *
Three Member States oftheCommunity (France ,theFederal
Republio ofGermany andtheUnited Kingdom )have ratified theConvention ;
other Member States have been favourable toitandexpressed their
intention ofratifying itshortly .
2. TheInternational Convention forSafe Containers (CSC)
lays down common international safety regulations concerning themanu­
facture ,testing ,inspection ,approval andmaintenance ofcontainers .
TheConvention applies tonew containers andcontainers
already incirculation used forinternational transport ,excluding
containers speoially designed forairtransport *
Inparticular ,under theConvention ,every container must
besubjected toaneffeotive testing ,inspection andapproval procedure ;
thecriteria forthis arespecified inAnnexes 1and 2totheConvention
itself .

Evidenceofacontainer'sconformitytotheConventionis
providedbytheooaspetentauthoritiesaffixingtoitaCSCSafetyApproval
Plate.Theplateconst -ituespresumptive evidencethatacontainerissafe
underthetermsoftheConvantionjitisthereforeofvitalimportanceto
thefreemovementofthecontainer.TheConventionstipulatethatevery
containershallbeapprovedinaccordancewiththeprovisionssetoutin
Annex1withinfiveyearsofthedateofentryintoforceoftheConvention,
i.e.September1982atthelatest.
Inaddition,undertheConvention ,"owners"asdefinedin.
theCSCareresponsibleformaintaining containersinsafeconditionand
subjecting themtotheexaminations prescribedorapprovedbytheoompotent
administrative ahtorityjtheseexaminations musttakeplaoeatintervals
ofnotmorethantwoyears.
TheCommissionconsidersthatimprovingthesafetyof
transportingeneralcruetberegardedasanimportantpartoftheCommon
TransportPolicyofwhichcontainertransport,coveredbytheCSC,isa
specificcase.Harmonizedapplication oftheCSCwithintheGoaurunityis
necessarysincetheCommissionthinksitwouldb®harmfultotheharmoni­
zationofconditionsofcompetition ,safety,thefreemovementofcontainers
andofgoodssnd5ingeneral,theproperfunctioning ofthetransportmarket,
ifspecialistoperatorsinthissectorweresubjeottodifferentsystems,
aswouldbetheoaBeifcertainMemberStateBdidnotratifytheConvention
ordidnotgiveitauniforminterpretation whenapplyingitsprovisions
intheirnationallegislation ,,
Inaddition,anyaotionbytheComarunityanditsMember
Statesinthisareawillalsohavetobecompatiblewiththeinitiatives
takeninIMCO,toensurethatsuchactioniseffectiveworldwide.

I"tisthereforenecessaryfortheapplication oftheCon­
ventiontobeharmonisedinallMemberStatea.Katifioation "by*,11Msxaber
Stateswouldbethefirststepinthisdirection®Consequently ,thedraft
CouncilRecommendation providesforadeadlineforratification oraccession
"byMemberStates.
However;ratification ofthisConventionbytheMember
Statesbythedeadlinesetwillnotbeenoughinitselftoguarantee
harmonizedapplioationatCommunityandinternational levelsofthepro­
visionsconcerningtheexamination,approvalandinspectionofcontainers
'orjointaotionbytheMemberStateswithintheIMCOwithregardtofuture
amendments .
TheCommissionwillthereforebesubmittingproposals
Counoilwithaviswtotheh&naonizationofnationallawsadoptedorpropo­
sedinimplementation oftheCSC,aswellasproposalswithaviewtothe
adoptionofajointpositionbytheMemberStateswithinIMCOwithregardto
anyamendmentstotheConvention !atsometimeinthefutureaninitative
mightevenbeenvisagedregardingtheaccessionoftheCommunitytothis
Convention.

-4-
DRAFTCOUNCILBECOMMEMDATIOIT PITTHERATIFICATION OFTHE
INTERNATIONAL COFvTOIOyFORSAFBCOMBINERS(CSC)*
TheCounciloftheEuropeanCommunities ,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishing theEuropeanEoonomioCommunity,
HavingregardtothedroffcfromtheCommission.
WhereasanInternational ConventionforSafeContainers(CSC)preparedin
theframeworkoftheUnitedHationsInter~Governmental MaritimeConsultative
Organization (IMCO)enteredintoforceon6September1977andisopenfor
ratification oraccessionbyStates,includingtheMemberStates}
WhereastheConventioncontains "rulesdesignedtomaintainahighlevelof
safetyofhumanlifeinthehandling,stackingandtransporting of
containersandsafetyrulesgoverningconstruction andtesting;WhereastheConvention containsrules
safetyofhumanlifeinthehandling,
containersandsafetyrulesgoverning
Whereasapplication oftheserulesbytheMemberStatesoftheCommunity
andbythirdcountriesintheirdealingswiththeCommunitywouldhavean
impactontransportconditionsandinparticularontheinterestsofthe
railwaysandofcarriersbyroad,inlandwaterwayandsea,whetherin
combinedorsingle-modetransportoperations;
WhereasthreeMemberStateshavealreadyratifiedtheConvention,and
whereasratification oftheConventionbyonlysomeMemberStatesis
likelytohaveaharmfuleffectontheconditionsofcompetition andin
particularonthoseoftheoperatorsinthissectorandonthefreemove­
mentofgoodsandofcontainerswithintheoontaonmarket;

Whereasratification oraccessionayallMemberStatesisalsonecessaryfor
theharmonizedratification oftheConvention "fckroughowVtheCommunityand
fortheadoptionofajointpositiononanyaraendjaent3totheConventionj
WhereasactionbytheCommunityinthisareasmustbecompatiblewith
initiativesundertakenbytheIMCO,inordertoensuretheeffectiveness
thereofj
WhereasitisenvisagedwithintheIMCOtoapplytheoontrolsenvisaged
bytheCSCfromSeptember1982,andwhereasnationalprovisionsmustbe
laiddownswiftlyinordertoenableoperatorstohavealltheirexisting
containersexaminedbeforethatdate?whereas,inviewofthelargenumber
ofcontainersinexistence,operatorsandtheauthorities concernedmust
begivensufficienttimetoensurethattheworkinvolvedintestingand
approvalandintheaffixingoftheCSCPlateisspreaduniformly.
HEREBYRECOMMENDS THAT?
iftheyhavenotyetdoneBO,MemberStatesratifytheInternational
ConventionforSafeContainers,oraccedetheretobefore1JanuaryI98O:}
MemberStatesinformtheSecretary-General oftheIntern-Governmental Mari­
timeConsultative Organization inwritingthattheirratification or
accessionisinpursuanceofthisRecommendation *
FortheCouncil,
Doneon