2,2,94 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC34/47
3.21.2.Insub-paragraph 9.3'retainthelabel'should
read'remainlabelled'.Itshouldbepointedoutthat,
however,transport labelsmaycarryquitedifferent
information thanuserlabels(differenthazards).3.21.Annex,Paragraph 9(Information onchemical
agents)
3.21.1.Insub-paragraph 9,2,secondindent,'hazard­
ous'shouldbeinsertedbetween 'other'and'chemical
agents'.
DoneatBrussels,24November 1993,
TheChairman
oftheEconomic andSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN
OpinionontheCommunication fromtheCommission onacommonpolicyonsafeseas
(94/C34/16
On24February 1993theCommission decidedtoconsulttheEconomic andSocialCommittee
onthecommunication fromtheCommission onacommonpolicyonsafeseas.
TheSectionforTransport andCommunications ,whichwasresponsible forpreparingthe
Committee 'sworkonthesubject,adopteditsOpinionon10November 1993.TheRapporteur
wasDrBredima-Savopoulou .
Atits310thPlenarySession (meetingof24November 1993)theEconomic andSocial
Committee adoptedthefollowingOpinionunanimously .
1.Introduction
1.1.Seafaring hasalwaysbeenconsidered asan
inherently dangerous activity,although lesssocom­
paredtoothertransport activities ,andasoneposing
potentialriskstothemarineenvironment .1.2.However ,safetyandpollutionprevention are
notanewsubjectfortheEuropean Community .The
ECCounciltackledthesesubjectsonthefollowing
occasions :
1.2.1.CouncilResolution of25February 1992on
thefutureCommunity policyconcerning theprotection
ofEuropean coastalzones;CouncilDirective 92/43/
EEContheconservation ofnaturalhabitatsandof
wildfaunaandflora;CouncilResolution 90/C206/01
ontheprevention ofaccidentscausingmarinepollution ;
CouncilResolution of26June1978settingupanaction
programme oftheEuropeanCommunities onthecon­
trolandreductionofpollutioncausedbyhydrocarbons
discharged atsea,whichprovides animmediate
responsecapability ;CouncilRecommendation 78/584
of19July1978ontheratification bytheMemberStates
ofConventions onSafetyinShipping :SOLAS1974
Convention ,MARPOL 1973/1978Convention ,Con­
ventionNo147of1976ontheminimum standards on
boardmerchantships(ILO);CouncilRecommendation
79/114of21December 1978ontheratification ofthe1.1.1.Recentmarineaccidentscausingenvironmen­
talpollutiononEuropean coastshavemovedpublic
opinioninECMemberStates.Widespread callsfor
improved maritime safetyandpollution standards
withintheECarereflectedintheworkcurrentlyunder­
takenbyCommunity institutions overthisissue.Fol­
lowingtworelevantResolutions oftheEP(on
17December 1992andon21January1993)andajoint
Transport/Environment Ministers Council (25January
1993)onshippingsafetyandpollutionprevention ,the
Commission adoptedon24February 1993aCommuni­
cationon'ACommonPolicyonSafeSeas'.

NoC34/48 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities %2.2.94
1978International Convention onstandards ofTrain­
ing,Certification andWatchkeeping forSeafarers ;
CouncilDirective 79/115of21December 1978concern­
ingpilotageofvesselsbydeep-seapilotsintheNorth
SeaandtheEnglishChannel ;CouncilDirective79/116
of21December 1978concerning minimum require­
mentsforcertaintankersenteringorleavingCom­
munityportsasamended byDirective 79/1034of
6December 1979;CouncilDecision 82/887of13
December 1982adoptingaconcerted actionprojectin
thefieldofshore-based navigation aidsystems;Council
Decision 83/124of28March1983ontheconclusion
ofaCOSTconcertation agreement onaconcerted
actionprojectinthefieldofshore-based marinenavi­
gationaidsystems (COSTproject301);CouncilRec­
ommendation 83/419of25July1983ontheratification
ofthe1979International Convention onMaritime
SearchandRescue;Commission Decision 77/527of
29July1977establishing thelistofmaritimeshipping
lanesfortheapplication ofCouncilDirective76/135.—theNewChallenges tomaritime industries
(Additional Opinion,May1992—OJNoC223/
36)
-—theGreenPaperontheimpactoftransportonthe
environment (Opinion ,September 1992—OJNo
C313/43)
—thedecisiononthecooperation agreement forthe
protection frompollutionoftheNorthAtlantic
(Opinion,May1993)
—theWhitePaperonthefuturedevelopment ofthe
commontransportpolicy(Opinion,October1993).
1.4,Itisalsonoteworthy thattheECMemberStates
—togetherwithNorway,Sweden,Polandand
Finland—participate andcarryoutinspections ofships
callingattheirportsundercommonrulessubjectto
the1982ParisMemorandum ofUnderstanding (MOU)
onPortStateControl .
1.2.2.Recently,theCouncilreachedpreliminary
conclusions onthecontentofadraftDirective concern­
ingminimumrequirements forvesselsenteringorleav­
ingCommunity portsandcarryingdangerous orpollut­
inggoods.
1.3.TheESCindicated itsconcernregarding the
issuesofmaritimesafetyandpollutionprevention on
severaloccasions inthepast:1.5.Ontheotherhand,overthelastthirtyyearsthe
issuesofmaritimesafetyandpollutionprevention have
beenthesubjectofextensiveworkandcontinuetobe
underconstantconsideration ininternational organiza­
tions(Table1).Morestillcanbedonewithregardto
theenforcement ofacceptedinternational rules.
1.5.1.TheleadingConvention onmaritimesafetyis
theInternational Convention forSafetyofLifeatSea
(SOLAS)1960/1974asamendedbythe1978Protocol .
ThisConvention specifiesminimumstandardsforthe
construction ,equipment andoperation ofshipscom­
patiblewiththeirsafety.The1988GMDSSAmend­
mentstothisConvention introduced theGlobalMari­
timeDistressandSafetySystembasedongeostationary
andpolarorbitingsatellites .Theeffectsofthissystem
haveyettobeevaluated .
1.5.2.TheleadingConvention onpollutionpreven­
tionistheInternational Convention forthePrevention
ofPollutionfromships1973asamendedbythe1978
Protocol (MARPOL 73/78).Morerigorousmeasures
concerning designandconstruction ofoiltankershave
comeintoforceon6July,1993(MARPOL Convention
Regulation 13F);aphasingout/upgrading schemefor
existingoiltankerswillcomeintoforceon6July,1995
(MARPOL Regulation 13G)andmayextendtoaperiod
of25years—andinsomecases30years—after
delivery .—theproblemscurrentlyfacingCommunity shipping
policy,particularly maritimesafety,thegrowing
importance ofthenewshippingnations,thedevel­
opmentofflagsofconvenience andthediscrimi­
nationagainstcertainflags(Opinion,April1979—
OJNoC171/79)
—thecommonshippingpolicypackage (Opinion,
May1986—OJNoC207/86)
—theDraftDirectiveontheminimumrequirements
forvesselsenteringorleavingCommunity ports
carryingpackagesofdangerous orpollutinggoods
(Opinion,October1989—OJNoC329/20)
—thepositivemeasuresformaritimetransport (Opin­
ion,November 1989—OJNoC56/70)
2.Commission 'sCommunication on'ACommon Pol­
icyonSafeSeas'
—theDraftDirective onLoranC(Opinion ,April
1991—OJNoC159/22)
BasicElements
—theTransport 2000PlusReportentitled'Towards
aEuropeannetworkoftransportsystems'(Opinion,
December 1991—OJNoC49/52)2.1.Shipping accidents inEuropean watersor
involvingEuropean vessels—entailingthelossoflives

2.2.94 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC34/49
d)measurestosupporttheInternational Maritime
Organization enablingittostrengthen itsprimary
roleininternational standard-setting .andpollutionofthemarineenvironment —areat
theheartoftheCommission 'sCommunication ona
Common PolicyonSafeSeas.TheCommunication
presentsacoherentprogramme fortheenhancement of
maritimesafetyandpollutionprevention fromships
bothatinternational andCommunity levelandconsists
oftwoparts:PartIentitled'NecessityandMainFea­
turesofaCommon PolicyonSafeSeas'andPartII
entitled'TheActionProgramme '.2.3.Equallyimportant aremeasures toimprove
trainingandqualification ofthecrewsoastoaddress
theproblemofhumanerror,whichremainsthemain
causeofaccidents .
2.1.1.TheCommunication looksatthemainfactors
ofaccidentsatsea'withaviewtoidentifying crucial
areaswhichcallforspecificurgentmeasuresatthe
international ,Community ,national,regionalorlocal
level'.Themainlinesoftheproposed actionpro­
grammehavealreadybeenincluded intheCom­
mission'sWhitepaperon'TheFutureDevelopment of
theCommonTransportPolicy'adoptedon8December
1992.2.4.TheActionProgramme ,whichisannexedto
theCommunication ,containsanumberofproposed
CouncilDirectives/Decisions tobeadoptedin1993­
1995andotheractions.Amongtheinitiativesfor1993
thefollowingonescouldbementioned :
—minimumrequirements forvesselscarryingdanger­
ousandpollutinggoods,boundfororleavingCom­
munityports,designedtoensurethattheauthorities
areproperlyinformed ;
—introduction ofcommon rulesandstandards for
classification societiesandtechnical safetystan­
dardsforships;
—decisionsettingupaCommittee onsafeseas.2.1,2.Theapproach proposed intheCommuni­
cationseekstheenhancement ofsafetyandprevention
ofpollutionatseathroughtheelimination ofsub­
standardoperators ,vesselsandcrewsfromCommunity
waters,irrespective oftheflagoftheships.According
totheCommunication 'TheCommunity ,thankstoits
politicalandlegislative machinery ,isuniquelyplaced
bothtoensurethatMemberStatesapplystandardsto
shipsflyingtheirflagsinamoreuniformandrigorous
mannerandtoenforce,withcommonmethodsand
rigour,respectofthesamestandards onvesselsofall
flagswhenoperating inECwaters'.Otheractionsenlist:
—trainingprogrammes forcrews,surveyors ,VTS
operators ,port-statecontrol,inspectors ;
—development anduseofreceptionfacilities .
2.4.1.TheCommission hasalreadysubmitted draft
proposalsontheminimum leveloftrainingformari­
timeoccupations andoncommonrulesandstandards
forshipinspection andsurveyorganizations .
2.4.2.Finally,studieswillbeconcluded ,interalia,
onassessment ofscrapping capabilities /facilities,and
oncoordination ofavailability ofsalvagecapacities .2.2.TheCommunication containsanactionpro­
grammebaseduponapackageofmeasuresincluding :
a)measurestoestablishaconvergent implementation
ofexistinginternational rulesintheCommunity
(measuresconcerning theFlagState);
3.GeneralCommentsb)measurestoensureatighterandmoreeffective
controlofshipsbytheStateoftheports.They
includeuniformapplication bycoastalStatesofthe
international rulestovesselsofallflagswhenthey
areoperating inCommunity waterstoensurethat
shipsofallagescomplywithnecessarystandards
andareproperlymaintained (measuresconcerning
theportState);3.1.Importance ofMaritimeTransport totheCom­
munity
3.1.1.TheEuropeanCommunity istheleadingtrad­
ingareaintheworldandmaritimetransport isbyfar
themostimportant carrierofthistrade.Despitethe
factthatothermodesoftransportoccupythecentre
ofattention innationalpubliclivesascompared to
shipping,itisanindisputable factthataround90%of
thetotalvolumeofECtradewiththirdcountries and
around35%ofintra-Community trafficiscarriedbyc)measurestopromotemaritimetrafficinfrastruc­
turesinviewofacoherentandharmonized develop­
mentofnavigational aidsandtrafficsurveillance ,
bringingmaritimesafetyintotheelectronic age,
withspecificattention beinggiventotraffic
measuresinenvironmentally sensitiveareas;

NoC34/50 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 2.2.94
3.2.TheNeedforActiononSafety
3.2.1.According totheCommission ,themaritime
transportpolicyoftheCommunity 'mustsecurecom­
petitivetransportservicesandensurethatsuchservices
takeplaceataminimallevelofriskforcrews,passen­
gers,cargoandvessels,forthemarineenvironment and
coastalactivities'.TheCommittee subscribes tothis
view.sea.Thedevelopment oftheECeconomyonthebasis
ofthesinglemarketandoftheEuropean Economic
Areawillprovideafurtherstimuluswhichwillbe
reflectedinanincreaseinmaritimetransportboth
externally andatshortsea.TheCommittee therefore
anticipates thatmaritimetransport willplayamore
andmoreimportant role.TheCommunity ,recognizing
theimportance ofthemaritimetransportsector,isin
theprocessofdeveloping apackageofpositive
measurestoassisttheinternational competitiveness of
theCommunity fleet.Itisnoteworthy thatasubstantial
tonnagebeneficially ownedbycommunity shipowners
isregistered underthirdcountries'flags,mainlyasa
resultofdeflagging fromtheCommunity fleetoften
forcommercial reasons .TheCommittee reiterates its
concernoverdeflagging andexpectsthatadoptionof
apackageofpositivemeasureswillreversethistrend.3.2.2.Shipping accidents inEuropean waters
entailinglossoflivesandpollutionofthemarine
environment andtheensuingpressureofpublicopinion
stimulated bythemassmediaconstitute acompelling
needforaction.Whilstthenumberofaccidents has
beendecliningovertheyearsonaworldwide basis
(Tables4and5),thelossoflivesrecord(Table6)varies
with1992thelowestfor13years.However ,thereare
widevariations inthesafetyperformance ofFlagStates
withinECmembership .ThisisindicatedintheCom­
munication 'sstatisticsregarding PortStateControl
inspections .Recognizing thatconsiderable strideshave
beenmadeoverthelastdecadetoreducepollution
andcasualties ,theCommittee hopesthattheAction
Programme willprovideacatalystonseveralissuesand
willleadtofurtherprogress .Inlightoftheabove
considerations ,theCommunication anditsActionpro­
grammearebothtimelyandtheyshouldbewelcomed
asamajorcontribution towardsimproving safetyand
environmental protection .3.1.2.Shipping providesemployment atseato
121,000ECnationals and23,000non-ECnationals
(Table2).Moreover ,shippingprovidesopportunity of
employment toavastvarietyofrelatedservicesashore
(banking,insurance ,protection andindemnity cover,
brokerage ,shipsupplying ,shipbuilding ,maritimelegal
work,equipment manufacturing ,shiprepairing ,pilot­
age,portoperators ,accountancy andconsultancy ).It
isestimatedthatmaritime-related activitiesemployover
amillionpeople.
3.3.Protectionofthemarineenvironment
3.1.3.TheCommunity flagfleetamountsto5,428
shipsor55,658,542 GRTandranksfirstinternationally
(Table3).Itstotalreplacement valueamountstoUS$72
billionoroverECU60billion.In1992,105,455,000
tdw(UNCTAD :SurveyonMaritimeTransport 1992)
registeredunderthirdcountries'flagswerebeneficially
ownedbyCommunity shipowners .TheCommittee notesthatalthoughthemainobjective
oftheCommunication istoaddresstheissueofsafe
seas,theindirectaimofthemeasures istheprotection
ofthemarineenvironment intheCommunity .Itis
noteworthy thataccordingtoleadingscientificstudies
—corroborated bythefindingsoftheEuropeanMari­
timeIndustries Forum—pollution ofthemarine
environment predominantly 80%comesfromland­
basedsourcesandatmospheric inputs.TheCommuni­
cationthereforeaddresses only20%ofmarinepol­
lution,thatwhichisattributedtoships.Theremaining
80%ofmarinepollutionattributedtoland-based dis­
chargeandatmospheric inputsmeritsattentionbythe
Community inaseparatestudy.3.1.4.Ithasbeenrecognized recentlyinthecontext
oftheEuropean MaritimeIndustries Forum(Annual
Report1992,p.1)thatshippingis'important tothe
Community economically ,socially,intermsofdefence
andintermsofitsinternational influence'.Theinherent
safetyandenvironmental qualitiesofmaritimetrans­
portcomparedtocertainothermodeshavebeenrecog­
nizedintherecentCommission WhitePaperonthe
futuredevelopment oftheCommonTransport Policy
(1992).Itmustbenotedthatshipsconsumelessenergy
pertonnecarriedandaremoreenvironmentally friendly
thananyotherformoftransportintermsofnoiseand
airpollution .Forthesereasons,maritimetransportcan
provideaworkablesolutiontothetransportcongestion
problemsenvisaged intheWhitePaper,makeapositive
contribution andclaimaprominent placeamongthe
varioustransportmodes.3.4.TheGlobalCharacterofShipping
3.4.1.TheCommission rightlyacknowledges the
worldwide dimension ofshipping,whichequally
appliestomaritimesafetyandenvironmental protec­
tion.Shipping—ascontrasted tootherCommunity
export-oriented industries—isinauniquepositionin
thatitoperatesinanenvironment withmobileplant

2.2.94 OfficialjournaloftheEuropean Communities NoC34/51
andequipment andmobilelabourforce.Shipping is
thusexposedparexcellence tointernational compe­
tition.Therefore ,ifsafetyandenvironmental standards
aretobeeffectively developed ,theymustbepreferably
ataworldwide level.enforcement ofandcompliance withexistinginstru­
mentsthatwouldmakethemostimmediate impact.
Itmustbeobserved ,however ,thattheinformation
concerning ratification seemstobethemostadequate
inrespectofILOConventions .
3.4.2.ThispolicyhasbeenendorsedbytheESCin
pastOpinions andstillremainsthebasicyardstick
foranyfutureCommunity actioninthesefields.The
Commission justifiedadherence tothispolicyas'dic­
tatednotonlybytheneedforthebroadestpossible
application ofstandardsguaranteeing ahighlevelof
safetyworldwide ,butalsointheinterestofreducing
considerably thenegativeeffectsonthecompetitiveness
ofthefleetsoftheMember Stateswhichresultalso
fromthecostadvantages enjoyedbytheoperatorsof
substandard shipsandcrews'.3.5.3.AsregardsexistingIMOConventions ,what
isbasicallyrequiredinmostinstancesfortheirenforce­
mentispromptratification byallECMemberStates
andcompliance withtheirterms.Asregardsimportant
IMOResolutions ,MemberStatesshouldbeencouraged
tomakethemmandatory throughanamendment of
theappropriate international Convention .Improve­
mentsintheprocedures andmechanisms tofacilitate
suchpossibilities couldwellbenecessary .Nonetheless ,
ifMemberStatesactinginacoordinated mannerare
notabletosucceedinincorporating anappropriate
Resolution intoaConvention ,theCommittee believes
thattherecouldbemeritinrenderingitmandatory at
anEClevel.EachResolution shouldbeexamined ona
case-by-case basis.Toachievemaximum results,there
canbeaparallelprocessinIMOandintheECalong
thelinesdescribed above.
3.6.CausesofCasualties —HumanError3.4.3.Thecoreoftheproblem ,however ,liesnot
indeveloping standards atinternational levelbutin
securingtheiruniversalimplementation .Manyinter­
nationally agreedstandardsareignoredinpractice,and
thereisnointernational authorityabletoenforcethem.
Hencetheimportance oftheCommission 'sproposals
toenforcethemoreimportant oftheinternational
standards viaconcertedandmandatory actionbyCom­
munityStatesthroughtheuseofPortStateControl .
Byrequiring allvesselsenteringCommunity portsto
complywithinternational standards ,theCommunity
willassistpowerfully theuniversalenforcement ofthose
standards .Inlightoftheaboveconsiderations ,the
Committee supportstheCommission initsintentionto
enforceinternationally agreedstandards andnotto
introduce specialCommunity standards .TheCom­
mitteeisbasicallycriticalabouttheintroduction of
specialCommunity standards sinceitcouldleadtoa
regionalization ofstandards .Priorityshouldtherefore
begiventotheintroduction ofinternational standards .3.6.1.Thelikelihoodofhumanerrorcontributing to
accidentsatseahasbeenheightened bytheemergence
inrecentdecadesofsocialandeconomic factors,such
ascompetitive pressures toreducecostssometimes to
levelsthatcouldendangersafety,recruitment ofcrews
inadequately trainedorwithoutacommonlanguage
linkandexcessivelevelsoffatigue.
3.6.1.1.TheCommittee therefore welcomes the
Commission 'sintention ,asindicatedinparagraphs 72­
73oftheCommunication ,toproposeaDirectivefor
the'controlofdeficiencies anddetentionofships'which
donotcomplywithcertainrequirements ,atentative
listofwhichisprovidedasanexampleinparagraph 73.3.5.Compliance withExistingInternational Rules
3.6.1.2.Thelastofthesepossiblerequirements
relatestooperational standards andon-boardpro­
ceduresrequiredbyrelevantinstruments ,sufficientpro­
fessionalqualifications ofthecrewandrespectforthe
provisions ofILOConvention 147laiddowninthe
MOUonPortStateControl (Annex 1,Section4
para.4.1).TheCommittee urgestheCommission to
proceedalongthislineofdevelopment asquicklyas
possible .3.5.1.Extensive work—asalreadypointedout
underparagraph 1.5—hasalreadybeenundertaken
byIMOand,toacertainextent,byotherinternational
organizations suchastheInternational LabourOrgan­
ization (ILO)andtheInternational Association of
Lighthouse Authorities (IALA).Community action
shouldconsolidate theIMO/ILOreputation forrespon­
siblenon-political actioninthesefieldsandnotdupli­
cateitinanyway.TheCommunication ,therefore ,and
itsparticularproposalsshouldbeexaminedagainstthe
background ofIMOworkanditskeyroleinstandard
setting.3.6.2.Themeasuresproposedandtheresourcesto
dealwithhumanerrorarenotcommensurate inthe
ActionProgramme withtheimportance ofthisfactor
asthemajorcauseofcasualties .Mostofthemeasures
proposedfocusonhardwareratherthanpeopleand3.5.2.Thereisalreadyanextensivecorpusofrules
attheinternational level;itis,therefore ,thestrict

NoC34/52 2,2.94 OfficialJournaloftheEuropean Communities
3.7,2,Whatisthereforerequiredisadherence bythe
ECMemberStatestotherecentlyagreedamendments
totheMARPOL Convention regardingnewandexist­
ingships(Regulations 13Fand13G)whichcoverboth
issuesadequately .thisshouldberectified .Otherwise substantial financial
resourceswillbespentonstructuraladjustments /mod­
ernization ofshipswhilsttheupgrading ofmaritime
education willnotbegivensufficientattention .The
Committee wouldliketoseetheimportance ofthe
humanelementandtheneedforactionemphasized in
theCommunication andActionProgramme andtaking
precedence overstructural andequipment require­
ments.Enforcement ofagreedinternational standards
—includingthoseconcerning workingconditions on
board—onallshipsenteringCommunity ports,
vocational trainingofECseafarersandadequatetrain­
ingofnon-ECseafarersonboardCommunity ships
areattheheartoftheproblemofsafety.Existing
Community fundsshouldbeusedfortheabovepur­
poses,asproposedintheCommunication ,
3.6.2.1.Finally,theCommittee notesthe1993'Study
GrouponShipSafetyRecord'undertheCommunity
EuretProgramme whichcarriedoutananalysisofthe
causesoftheformation ofhumanerrorsintheMan/
ShipSystemoftheEuropean fleets.3,8.Sub-standard Vessels,CrewsandOperators
3.8.1.ThemainapproachoftheCommunication
seekstheenhancement ofsafetyandpollutionpreven­
tion'throughtheelimination ofsub-standard operators ,
vesselsandcrewsfromCommunity waters,irrespective
oftheflagoftheships'.TheCommittee fullyshares
thisgoalbutbelievesthatclarification isneededasto
whatshouldberegardedasasub-standard ship.An
adequatedefinition isgiveninparagraph 3ofIMO
Resolution A.466(XII)(Table7),TheCommittee there­
foresuggeststheCommission usethisdefinition inits
futurework.
3.8.2.TheCommittee suggeststhatsub-standard
crewsbedefinedbyreferencetotheSTCWConvention
andILOConvention No147.
3.8.3.Regarding sub-standard operators ,theSection
sharesthesupportgivenintheCommunication tothe
IMOInternational SafetyManagement Code(ISMC),
whichhasbeenofficiallyadoptedinNovember 1993.
Itisvitalthatcompanies shouldnotonlyensurethat
theirshipmanagement andpersonneloperatetointer­
nationally acceptedstandardsbutthattheyalsoadopt
apro-activeapproachtoenvironmental andsafetyman­
agement .Theeffectiveapplication oftheCodeinthe
Community shouldbeexamined .Thesoon-to-be-publi­
shedguidelines fromthemaritimeindustry,designed
toencourage theISMCapplication ,willbeahelpful
contribution tothisexercise .3,6.3.Apartfromtheabovemeasures ,theIMOdeals
withtheinfluenceofthehumanelementintheleading
Convention STCWof1978(Convention onStandards
ofTrainingCertification andWatchkeeping ofSea­
farers)whichiscurrentlyunderreviewtobefinalized
in1995.Moreover ,measures tohandlehumanerror
mayalsobefoundintheleadingILOConvention
No147of1976ontheminimum standards onboard
merchantships.Itisnoteworthy thatbothConventions
havebeenratifiedbyECMemberStates.
4.SpecificRemarks
3.7.CausesofCasualties :AgeofShips—Structural
characteristicsTheActionProgramme
4.1.TheCommittee examined theCommission 's
ActionProgramme againstthebackground ofthefind­
ingsoftheprecedingparagraphs .Assessment ofpro­
posedactionismadeonthebasisoftheprinciplethat
'prevention isbetterthancure',whichisenshrined in
Article130rparagraph 2oftheEuropean SingleAct.
Priorities intheproposedmeasuresarebasedonthe
expectation ofmaximum effectintheshortestpossible
timewithinpracticable limitsofeffortbyMember
States.Inthiswaywecanidentify :3.7.1.Ithasbeenmaintained thatbanningships
overacertainagewouldenhancesafetyandeffectively
safeguard theenvironment .However ,ageitselfisnot
anefficientcriterionofthequalityofavesselifit
isbuilt,operatedandmaintained inaccordance with
international standards .Thisisalsotheviewofthe
Commission ,supported bythefindingsoftheEuropean
Maritime Industries Forum.Recentstudiesalsoindicate
thatthemid-height deckdesignasanalternative tothe
double-hull ,orotherstructural oroperational tech­
niques,mayinmanyinstancesbemoreappropriate to
containmajorpollutionincidents .Evidencefromrecent
majoraccidentscorroborates theview,alsoreflected
intheCommunication ,thatdoublehullsarenota
panacea .a)Short-term measures
(i)preventive measures
(ii)compensatory measures

2,2,94 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC34/53
b)Long-term measures . tallysensitiveareas.Asrecognized intheCommuni­
cationforsuchroutestobeeffective,discussion and
approvalinIMOisessential .
5.Short-Term Measures
TrafficMeasures
5.1.Preventive Measures
Thefollowing subjects—whicharecoveredinthe
Communication underChapter2'UniformEnforce­
mentofInternational Rules'—shouldreceiveearly
attention ;Trafficmeasuresshouldbeapplicable mainlytoladen
shipscarryingpollutingordangerous substances and
couldincludetrafficseparation schemes (VTS),areas
tobeavoided,deepwaterroutesorrecommended
routes,andinshoretrafficzones.Emphasisshouldbe
giventoestuarialandcoastalareas,channelsandport
approaches wherethereishightrafficdensity.
5.1.1.PortStateControl
AidstoNavigation
Requirements undertheSOLASandUNCLOSConven­
tionsforcontracting Governments toprovideandmain­
taincertainaidstonavigation (includingradiobeacons
andelectronic aids)arenotadequately fulfilled.This
adverselyaffectssafety.
Reception facilitiesIntensification ofPortStateControlisthekeymeans
fortheelimination ofsub-standard vesselsunderany
flag.The1982EuropeanMemorandum ofUnderstand­
ing(MOU)providesawell-tested andefficientpro­
cedureand,beingafullmember,theCommission has
theopportunity tointroduceitsproposalsandachieve
itsgoals.TheMOUhastheaddedadvantage ofhaving
awidermembership thantheCommunity (Norway,
Sweden,Finland,Poland)andcloselinkswithregimes
throughout theworld(Japan,Canada,Australia ,Rus­
sia,theLatinAmericanarea,theAsiaPacificarea).The
Committee stressestheroleofEuropeancooperation
withintheMOUfortheapplication ofIMOstandards .
Atthesametime,theCommittee supportsinprinciple
theproposedactionintheCommunication withinthe
ECframework .Thatwouldincludetheestablishment
ofacommonsetofcriteriaforintensification ofinspec­
tionofshipsinCommunity watersaswellasareview
ofcriteriafordetention ofships.Asstatedabove
(para.3.6.1),a)thehumanfactorshouldbecomean
elementofinspection undertheproposedDirectiveon
PortStateControlandb)noncompliance withtheILO
Convention 147maybeconsidered asareasonfor
detentionunderPortStateControl .Finally,onemust
ensuretheavailability ofadequatenumbersofvessel
inspectors havingsimilarlyhighandappropriate pro­
fessionalbackground ,trainingandqualifications .Com­
munityfundscouldmakeasignificant contribution in
thisrespect.Therefore ,enhancedtrainingprogrammes
forinspectors andexpandeddatainterchange onvessels
shouldbepromoted .Lackofreceptionfacilitiesforoilresidues/garbage/oily
waterballastfromshipsworldwide undermines the
effectiveness ofpollutionprevention legislationandhas
beenrecognized asamajorcauseofoperational pol­
lution.Manycontracting partiestotheMARPOL Con­
ventiondonotcomplywiththeirConvention commit­
mentsinthatrespect.
Theoperation ofsuchfacilitiesshouldbekeptata
reasonable andnotprohibitive cost.Community funds
shouldbemadeavailable fortheconstruction ofsuch
facilitiesinECports.
Reporting systems
Thereporting systemsassetoutinthesoon-to-be
adoptedDirective (cf.§1.2.2)representanacceptable
wayforwardand,subjecttotechnically andeconomi­
callyefficientsystemsbeingdeveloped applicable toall
flags,amorepracticalreporting system,whichdoes
notplaceexcessivedemandsonthemasterandhis
officers,wouldhavesafetybenefits.Itisimperative in
thiscontexttoadoptaprovisionwherebytheultimate
responsibility onentry/exittoportsshouldrestwith
theportauthorities toavoidsituations wheremasters
faceadilemmainviewofcommercial implications of
adecisiononentry.5.1.2.Development ofMaritime Infra­
structure
TheCommittee welcomes thefollowing measures ,
whicharecoveredintheCommunication underChap­
ter3'Developments ofMaritimeInfrastructure '.
Environmentally SensitiveAreasSearchandRescue
TheCommittee seesobviousmeritinreviewing and
developing particularroutessoastoavoidenvironmen­Inviewofexistingdisparities betweenMemberStates

NoC34/54 OfficialJournaloftheEuropean Communities 2.2.94
astoequipment onsearchandrescue,itisadvisableto
harmonize aEuropean SearchandRescueSystem.exploring themeritsofsuchharmonization .Therel­
evantdraftdirectiveisunderway.
5.2.Compensatory Measure
6,3.CommonStandardsforNon-Convention Ships
Liability andFundConventions —1992
Protocols
6.3.1.Whiletheremaybesomepossibleadvantage
inhavingcommonstandards forvesselsnotcoveredby
therelevantConventions (non-Convention ships),the
issuemeritsconsiderable study,soastoensurean
effectiveandnon-discriminatory regime.Inconducting
suchastudy,accountwillneedtobetakenofthelong­
termimplications oftheSingleMarket .Arelevantdraft
Directive isbeingdeveloped .Ratification bytheECMemberStatesofthe1992
Protocols tothe1969International Convention onCivil
Liabilityforoilpollutiondamageandthe1971Inter­
nationalConvention ontheEstablishment ofanInter­
nationalFundoncompensation foroilpollutiondam­
ageisimperative .TheProtocolsprovideincreasedlevels
ofcompensation payabletovictimsofoilpollution .
TheCommunication urgesMemberStatestoratifythe
Protocols assoonaspossible .TheaboveConventions
—whichspreadthecostbetweenshipandcargo—
representanadequateandefficientsystemofcompen­
sationwhichshouldbesupported .Thedevelopment of
anewinternational convention onliabilityandcompen­
sationforhazardous andnoxious substances isalso
beingdiscussed .TheCommittee expresses itsconcern
foradequatecompensation fordamagestothemarine
environment incoastalareasoftouristicinterest .6.4.PortDuesonSBTTankers
6,4.1.TheCommunication recognizes thatsegre­
gatedballasttanksanddoublehullspacesshouldbe
deductedwhencalculating harbourandcanalfees,in
accordance withtheprinciples behindResolution 722
ofIMO.Suchamove—whichwouldenhance ,rather
thanpenalizeasnow,theuseoftheabovetypesof
tankers—shouldbesupported . 6.Long-Term Measures
6.5.FlagStateStandardsTheCommittee believesthatthefollowing measures
-—whicharementioned inChapter I'Convergent
Implementation ofInternational Rules'wouldrequire
furtherconsideration beforeanyfinaldecisions are
reached .
6.1.Classification Societies
6.1.1.TheCommittee fullysupports theCom­
mission'sviewthatcriteriashouldbedeveloped to
establishminimum standards fortherecognition of
classification societies .Alreadyconsiderable effortis
underway withinthesocietiestowardsrestoringconfi­
denceintheirperformance .CurrentworkoftheInter­
nationalAssociation ofClassification Societies inintro­
ducingstandards fortheirmembers'aimsatrendering
classification societiesthefocusforsurveysandinspec­
tions.SuchcriteriahavebeenadoptedbyIMOin
November 1993andshouldbeendorsed bytheCom­
munity.Adetailedexamination ofthedraftDirective
onClassification Societies isunderway.6.5.1.Thedevelopment ofminimum international
standardsforFlagStates,bywhichtheabilityofStates
torespondtotheirobligations maybemeasured ,should
besupported andthespecificsuggestions oftheCom­
missioninChapter4international RuleMaking'
endorsed .TheCommunity hasanimportant influence
inthisareainthecontextofcooperation agreements
withdeveloping countriesandfundingpossibilities ,as
suggested intheCommunication .Sub-standard vessels
maybefoundunderanyflag.Theyarenotconfinedto
openregisterorflag,ofconvenience ships.TheESC
acknowledged initsOpinion (1986)onthecommon
maritimetransportpolicy(PhaseI)that:'flagsofcon­
veniencearenotnecessarily synonymous withsubstan­
dardoperations andtheESCbelievesthatallvessels
regardless offlagshouldbemadesubjecttomore
stringentPortStateControl .TheESCbelievesthatit
isessentialthatgreatertransparency ofallvessels
shouldbeachievedandthatthelinkbetweentheFlag
Stateandvesselsshouldbetightened ,thusenablingthe
FlagStatetoidentifyownership andfinancialresponsi­
bilityandtoimprovetheimplementation ofinter­
nationalagreements onsafetyandsocialstandards'.
TheCommittee alsonotedthattheUNConvention
onConditions ofShipRegistration (February 1986)
containing detailedcommitments forregistration of
vessels—althoughnotyetinforce—wentsome6.2.Harmonization ofSafetyRequirements forShip­
borneEquipment
6.2.1.Althoughmutualrecognition wouldseemthe
mosteffectivewayforward,therecouldbeworthin

2.2,94 OfficialJournaloftheEuropean Communities NoC34/55
Iftheproposals forcoordinated andfirmactionhave
thisresultthentheycanbesupported .Thekeyfactor
isthatanarrangement isnotputinplacethatwould
leadtoablocvotesystemdeveloping inIMO,politicis­
ingtheforumandgreatlyhampering itseffectiveness .
Fortheforeseeable futureitiscrucialtoretainthe
individual MemberStatevotes,accompanied asappro­
priatebyanynecessaryconsultation /coordination .For
theabovereasons,theCommittee favoursmaintenance
ofthecurrentstatusofCommunity membership in
IMO.waytoachievetheseobjectives .TheCommunication
endorsesthispositionandperceivestheproblemas
beingamoregeneralproblemofFlagStates.
Therecanbenotedhowever aclearcorrelation between
vesselaccidentsanddefectsontheonehandandregis­
trationundercertainopenregistersontheother.There
arecleardifferences inthezealwithwhichindividual
FlagStatesdischargetheirduties.Everyshipowner who
breachesinternational minimum standards andevery
FlagStatewhichneglectsitsdutiescreatesunfairterms
ofcompetition .PortStatecontrolscanonlyreact
indirectly ,andthuscannotbefullyeffective .Itisalso
alarmingthattheuseofopenregisters(')isincreasing
steadily (seealso3.1.3),sothattheirinfluenceoncom­
petitionandsafetyisexpanding .Itisurgentlynecessary
tocounterthistrendbyappropriate Community
measures .7.3.Committee onSafeSeas
7.3.1.Itisrecognized thatiftheconsultation /coordi­
nationprocedure istobeenhanced ,amechanism needs
tobefoundwherebysuchdiscussions cantakeplace
betweenMemberStates.Whilethecomposition and
roleofaCOSShavenotbeenspeltoutinanydetail,
theCommittee doeshavemisgivings abouttheneedto
setupanewadministrative layer.Itwouldappearless
bureaucratic ,andmoreappropriate giventheprime
roleofMemberStates,iftheexistingCouncilWorking
Groupmachinery wereused,adjustedasnecessary .7.OtherMeasures
Subjecttospecificcomments inthepreceding para­
graphs,theCommittee supportsthemainthrustofthe
proposedmeasuresbytheCommission .
8.Statistical Data
7.1.TimingforadoptionoftheActionProgramme
TheCommittee notesthatthestatisticsappearing in
theCommunication donotindicateamajorrisein
thenumberofaccidents atsea,asthetextofthe
Communication seemstoimply.Onthecontrary ,the
latestIMOStatistics on'seriouscasualties 'foroiland
chemicaltankersabove6,000CRTin1991showthe
lowestraterecordedduringthelast15years.Moreover ,
theCommunication doesnotemphasize thatahigh
percentage oftheoilmarinepollution isduetooper­
ationalactivitiesofships(causedmainlybythelackof
reception facilities )andnottoaccidental pollution .
Regarding thelossoflives,relevantdatafortheyears
1987-1992 areshownonTable6(source:Lloyd'sCasu­
altyReturns).TheCommittee notesthatanumberofCommunity
instruments (directives )proposed intheActionPro­
grammeareenvisaged foradoption inthecourseof
1993.TheCommittee fails1toseehow—procedurally
speaking—thesedatescanbemet,sincetheconsulta­
tiveprocessregardingtheCommunication willnotbe
finalizedbeforeNovember 1993(fortheFSC)and
February 1994(fortheEP).Mentionofsuchdates,
therefore ,seemspreemptive oftheopinionsoftheabove
institutions astothedesirability ofsuchinstruments
inthecontextoftheCommunication .TheTransport
Councilinits7June1993Resolution on'Common
PolicyonSafeSeas'committed itselftotakeactionon
thevariousproposalscontained intheCommunication .
TheCommittee feelsregretthattheCouncil ,perhaps
underpressure,hadtoproceedwiththeformulation of
futurepolicybeforetheseinstitutions wereproperly
consultedundertheEECTreaty ,8.1.Conclusions
7.2.Procedures inIMO
7.2.1.TheCommittee sharestheCommission 'swish
tostrengthen theeffectiveness oftheIMOlegislation .8.1.1.Whilstshipping ,ifstandards aremaintained ,
isoverallasafe,economical andenvironmentally fri­
endlymeansoftransportation ,maritimetransportacci­
dentsandpollutionincidentsdononetheless occur.
TheCommittee welcomes theCommission 'sboldmove
towardseliminating maritimeaccidents intheCom­
munity,andhopesthatitwillultimately besuccessful
infindingtheformulaforcleanerandsaferseasdespite
thedifficulties involved .Inthelastresort,however ,it
isshipowners ,shipoperators ,seafarers ,underwriters ,(')Seedefinition intheCommittee 's1979Opinion ,OJNo
C:171,21.5 .

NoC34/56 OfficialJournaloftheEuropean Communities 2,2.94
charterers .FlagStates,classification societiesandPort
Stateswhomustallpulltogethertoapplytheformula
correctly .Allarecompelled toworkinthatdirection .
Afterallwesubscribe totheDukeofEdinburgh 'ssaying:'Wedonotinheritthisearthfromourparents .
Weborrowitfromourchildren .Therefore ,weare
obligedtoprotectandpreserveit.'
DoneatBrussels,24November 1993.
TheChairman
oftheEconomicandSocialCommittee
SusanneTIEMANN
APPENDIX I—STATISTICAL TABLES
TABLE 1
Statusofinstruments relevantforthepurposeofthememorandum ofunderstanding onportstatecontrol
(Information asat1April1993)
AuthorityConventions
Loadlines Prot,'88Solas'74Prot.'78Prot.'88Marpol
73/78STCW'78Colreg'72ILO147
Belgium 22.01.69 24.09.79 24.09.79 06.03.84 14.09.82 22.12.75 16.09.82
Denmark 28.06.67 02.12.91 08.03.78 27.11.80 02.12.91 27.11.80 20.01.81 24.01.74 28.07.80
Finland 15.05.68— 21.11.80 30.04.81— 20.09.83 27.01.84 16.02.77 02.10.78
France 30.11.68 05.10.90 25.05.77 21.12.79 28.02.92 25.09.81 11,07.80 10.05.74 02.06.78
Germany 09.04.69— 26.03.79 06.06.80— 21.01.82 28.05.82 14.07.76 14.07.80
Greece 12.06.68 _ 12.05.80 17.07.81 — 23.09.82 22.03.83 17.12.74 18.09.79
Ireland 28.08.68— 29.11.83 29.11.83— — 11.09.84 19.12.77 15.12.92
Italy 19.04.68 18.04.91 11.06.80 01.10.82 03.03.92 01.10.82 26.08.87 11.01.79 23.06.81
Netherlands 21.07.67 22.02.91 10.07.78 08.07.80 22.02.91 30.06.83 26.07.85 04.02.76 25.01.79
Norway 18.03.68— 15.02.77 25.03.81— 15.07.80 18.01.82 13.08.74 24.01.79
Poland 28.05.69 — 15.03.84 15.03.84— 01.04.86 27.04.83 14.12.76 —
Portugal 22.12.69— 07.11,83 07.11.83— 22,10,87 30.10.85 17.10.78 02.05.85
Spain 01.07.68— 05.09.78 30.04.80— 08.07.84 21.10.80 31.06.74 28.04.78
Sweden 28.07.67 04.02.93 07.07.78 21.12.79 04.02.93 09.06.80 08.01.81 28.04.75 20.12.78
UnitedKingdom 11.07.67— 07.10.77 05.11.79— 22.06.80 28.11.80 28.06.74 28.11.80
Canada 14,01.70 08.05.78— 16.11.92 06.11.87 07.03.75—
Croatia 08.10.91— 08.10.91 08.10,91— 08.10.91 08.10.91 08.10.91—
Japan 15.06.68— 15.05.80 15.05.80— 09.06.83 27.06.82 21.06.77 31.05.83
RussianFed. 04.07.68— 09.01.80 12.05.81— 03,11,83 09.10.79 09.11.73 07.05.91
USA 17.11.66 01.07.91 07.09.78 12.08.80 01.07.91 12.08,80 01.07.91 23.11.76 15.06.88
Dateofentryintoforce 21.07.68— 25.06.80 01.05.81— 02.10.83 28.04.84 15.07.77 28.11.81
Source:MOUSecretariat

2.2.94 OfficialJournaloftheEuropean Communities NoC34/57
TABLE2
EECshippingasanemployer
Country Nationalflag
1983 1990 1992
Belgium Nationals 2,551 1,799 1,553
Non-Nationals 649 575 614
Denmark Nationals 11,235 8,800 10,800
Non-Nationals 2,109 1,700 2,000
France Nationals 21,240 10,700 10,300
Non-Nationals — 450 450
Germany Nationals 18,574 11,778 14,446
Non-Nationals 5,881 4,478 4,301
Greece Nationals 36,938 24,554 24,554"
Non-Nationals 5,653* 6,150 6,150
Ireland Nationals 1,583 1,200 1,259
Non-Nationals 105 255 322
Italy Nationals 32,000 26,090 25,000
Non-Nationals — — 2000
Netherlands Nationals 10,746 5,794 6,137
Non-Nationals 4,844 3,455 3,897
Portugal Nationals 5,111 1,711 1,711"
Non-Nationals — — __
Spain Nationals 23,522 13,000 11,000
Non-Nationals — — —
UK Nationals 17,781 14,651 14,495
Non-Nationals 5,826 1,416 3,353
Total Nationals 213,281 121,493 121,255
Total jNon-Nationals 25,067 17,629 23,087
*1984figures.
"■1990figures.
Source:European Community Shipowners 'Associations .
TABLE3
ECregisteredtradingfleetbyflag
(100GRTandabove)
31December 1992
Country No. CRT
Belgium
Denmark
France
Germany
UnitedKingdom
Greece
Ireland
Italy
Luxembourg
Netherlands
Portugal
Spain
Total18
555
175
869
425
1,540
65
928
52
416
51
.3.34
5,42866,552
4,892,305
.3,215,007
4,974,662
3,367,483
2.5,242,028
147,508
7,086,583
1,607,323
2,800,664
191,759
2,066,668
5.5,658,542
Intermsoftonnage,theCommunity fleetrepresents some1.3.2%oftheworldfleet.

NoC34/58 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities 2.2.94
Additional Europeaneconomicarea(EEA)maritimenations
(100GRTandabove)
31December 1992
Country No. GRT
Norway 2,436 22,230,51 5
Sweden 648 2,884,066
Finland 261 1,197,384
Total 3,345 26,311,965
Intermsoftonnage,theEEAfleetrepresents some19,4%oftheworldfleet.
Source:Lloyd'sRegisterofShipping ,
TABLE4
Totallossesvs.no.ofships
(index1975—100)
50
Totallosses(LCR)
(shipsover100grt)90.
80.
70.
60.
50.
40.Totallosses(ILU)
(shipsover500grt)
*LCR=Lloyd'sCasualtyReturn
*ILU=InstituteofLondonUnderwriters30.——
1
1974—I—
1976 1980 982 978 984 986 1988 990 1992

2.2.94 OfficialJournaloftheEuropeanCommunities NoC34/59
TABLES
Totallosses1975-1992
LCRandILU*
500
450
400
N
°350
o Totallosses(LCR)
(shipsover100grt)300
S
H
I250
P
S
200
Totallosses(ILU)
j50J(shipsover500grt)
LCR=Lloyd'sCasualtyReturn
IILU=InstituteofLondonUnderwriters
19741976 1978 19801982198419861988 19901992
TABLE 6
Casualtyreturn1992—Lloydsregister
Size:47%ofshipsreportedlostwereunder500grosstonnageofwhichnearly54%wereinthefoundered
category .Twenty-six vesselswithagrosstonnageof10,000andabovewerelist.
Age:80%ofalltonnagelostduringtheyearwasmorethanfifteenyearsofage.Theyoungestvessellost
wastheJapanesefishingvesselHosekiMaruNo.8(295GT)whichstrandedandsanklessthanonemonth
aftercompletion .TheoldestvessellostwastheUSAflaggedfishingvesselMUTUAL (100GT,built1920)
whichsankfollowing agalleyfireinPrinceWilliamSound.
Registration :PanamaandtheUSAsufferedthehighestnumberoflosseswith31and19respectively .Panama
sufferedthehighestgrosstonnagelosswith355,354 (29.1%)followedbyLiberiawith183,048 (15%).Malta
134,141 (11%)andtheMarshallIslands120,734 (9.9%).Theyweretheonlycountriestoloseover100,000 .
Liveslost:Thenumberofpersonsreportedkilledormissingasaresultoftotallossesduringtheperiod
1987-1992 isindicatedbelow.Sevenshipssustainedtenormorehumancasualtiesduring1992.Ofthe213
totallosses,42incidentsrecordedsomelossoflife,thelargestlossoflifebeing28peoplekilledwhenthe
DaeyangHoneyfoundered .

NoC34/60 OfficialJournaloftheEuropean Communities 2,2,94
Liveslostbvcategoryforthelastsixyearsareshownbelow
1992 1991 1990 1989 1988 1987
Foundered 119 400 149 443 561 523
Missing 24 62 128 26 29 78
Fire/Explosion 22 16 40 57 83 29
Collision 63 214 72 76 63 3,156
Contact 0 3 0 42 0 0
Wrecked/Stranded 7 509 0 34 23 34
Lost,etc. 11 0 0 10 4 21
Totallives 246 1,204 389 688 763 3,841
TABLE 7
Enclosure
3.Identification ofasub-standard ship
3.1.Ingeneral,ashipisregardedassubstandard :
3.1.1.ifthehull,machinery orequipment suchasforlife-saving ,radioandfire-fighting arebelowthe
standardsrequiredbytherelevantConvention ,owingto,interalia:
a)theabsenceofequipment orarrangement requiredbytheConventions ;
b)non-compliance ofequipment orarrangement withrelevantspecifications oftheConventions ;
c)substantial deterioration oftheshiporitsequipment becauseof,forexample ,poormaintenance ,
and
3.1.2.iftheseevidentfactorsasawholeorindividually maketheshipunseaworthy andwouldputatrisk
thelifeofpersonsonboardifitwereallowedtoproceedtosea.
3.2.Thelackofvalidcertificates (orthelackofRadiotelegraph Operator'sCertificates orRadiotelephone
Operator'sCertificates )asrequiredbytherelevantConventions ,willconstitute primafacieevidencethata
shipmaybesub-standard andwillformthebasisofadecisiontodetaintheshipforthwithandtoinspectit.
3.3.Itisimpracticable todefineasub-standard shipsolelybyreferencetoalistofqualifying defects .The
inspectorwillhavetoexercisehisprofessional judgement todeterminewhethertodetaintheshipuntilthe
deficiencies arecorrected ortoallowittosailwithcertaindeficiencies whicharenotvitaltothesafetyof
theship,itscreworpassengers ,havingregardtotheparticularcircumstances oftheintendedvoyage.
Source;IMOResolution A.466(XII)$i.