EN    EN EN 
 
EN    EN  COMMISSION OF THE E UROPEAN COMMUNITIES 
Brussels, 21.1.2009 
SEC(2009) 47 
  
COMMISSION STAFF WORKING DOCUMENT 
 
accompanying the 
Proposal for a 
 
DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL 
 
on reporting formalities for ships arriving in or departing from  ports of the Member 
States of the Community a nd repealing directive 2002/6/EC 
 
 
 
Report on impact assessment of differen t options to simplify/reduce/eliminate 
administrative procedures for Short Sea Shipping 
and implementing a European Mariti me Transport Space without Barriers 
  
SUMMARY OF THE IMPACT ASSESSMENT  
  
{COM(2009) 11 final} 
{SEC(2009) 46} 
 
EN 2   EN SUMMARY 
Fast growth of heavy road transport and re lated congestion, accidents and pollution are the 
main economic, social and environmental probl ems that the policy to promote Short Sea 
Shipping is expected to address. Europe ne eds an efficient co-modal transport system 
combining the benefits of all modes to ma intain and increase its competitiveness and 
prosperity in line with the Li sbon agenda and the mid-term review of the White Paper on 
European Transport Policy. 
Complex administrative procedures hinder Shor t Sea Shipping from de veloping faster. The 
administrative procedures involv ed have negative economic cons equences, in particular costs 
that are associated with administrative delays, frequent or regular contro ls and the time spent 
preparing documentation and procedures. This co mplexity also decreases  the attractiveness of 
the mode and entails that Short Sea Shipping  cannot fully contribute the efficiency and 
sustainability of the European transport system. 
While the removal of obstacles to land transpor t has finally become a reality, the Internal 
Market across the European Union is so far incomplete for Short Sea Shipping. 
Under the concept of European Maritime Tran sport Space without Ba rriers, the Commission 
services have assessed the main administrativ e and documentary procedures in Short Sea 
Shipping with a view to simp lifying, reducing or, when possi ble, eliminating them for 
transport operations between two EU ports. 
In particular, the following procedures were examined: 
• Customs procedures (includi ng simplified procedures); 
• Ship reporting procedures. 
• Veterinary and phytosanitary procedures; 
• Carriage of dangerous goods; 
Further enablers were also considered: 
• Electronic transmission of  administrative data; 
• Single window for all administrative formalities; 
• One-stop shop for controls; 
• Pilot Exemption Certificates; 
• Alternative administrative language; 
• Dedicated areas for Short Sea Shipping in ports. 
The policy options that were considered were: – Status quo as baseline scenario; 
– Case-by-case simplification of individual administrative formalities; 
– Act on the basis of a co-ordinated set of measures simplifying, reducing, and, 
wherever possible, eliminating formalities for vessels sailing between EU-ports in line with the model of the Internal Market offered by land transport. 
The impact assessment of these options was based on many assumptions made under careful 
consideration of the cont ributions of all stake holders. It showed with  sufficient confidence 
 
EN 3   EN that administrative simplification brings clear be nefits and that the maritime transport sector 
should not be excluded from the general free-circulation regime in place for land transport. 
The initiative has received full support from the stakeholders involved, and it is one of the 
cornerstones of the recent Communication on an  integrated maritime policy, the "Blue Book". 
The stakeholders considered th at not only the actual delays, but the risk of delays are 
important disincentives to use Short Sea Shi pping. Reliability and punctuality are the most 
important factors and will be improved by the propos ed measures at a rather moderate cost for 
the society. The alignment of administrativ e formalities applied to intra-EU maritime 
transport with the other modes will attract  more shippers to maritime transport. 
It is thus suggested that the Commission adopts an action plan to simplify existing 
administrative procedures and eliminate some of  them. The action plan comprises short term 
measures: 
– Rationalisation of vessel-re lated and goods-related reporti ng and forms required by 
Directives 2002/6/EC (formalities for vessels  at the arrival/departure of ports), 
2000/59/EC (waste and residue reception) , 2002/59/EC (vessel monitoring) and 
Regulation (EC) N° 725/2004 (maritime security). 
– Elimination of systematic controls and documentary requests by Customs for goods 
carried by sea between EU ports in line with inland transport. The measure will 
require a modification of the implemen ting provision of the Community customs 
code1 and should be in force by 2010. 
– Concerning the legislation on veterinary and phytosan itary products, guidelines 
should be adopted in 2009 in order to speed up the documen tary checks in Directives 
89/662/EEC2, 90/425/EEC3 and 2000/29/EC4. 
Further enabling measures would also  need to be implemented, namely: 
– Enhancing the electronic transm ission of administrative data; 
– Setting-up an administrative single window; 
– Simplification of the sea tr ansport of dangerous goods by implementing in the EU 
Member States the equivalence between some IMDG (carriage of dangerous goods 
by sea) rules and those of ADR/RID (carriage of dange rous goods by road/rail). 
The two first measures could be implemented and co-ordinated under wider proposals, in 
particular those to be included in the action pl an for the deployment of e-maritime systems in 
2009. 
In addition, recommendations s hould be given that Member Stat es implement further enabling 
measures, each time the local conditions permit to do it in an efficient manner, namely: 
                                                 
1 Council Regulation (EEC) N° 2913/92 of 12 October 1992 and Council Regulation of the European 
Parliament and the Regulation (EC) N° 450/2008 of 23 April 2008 laying down the Community 
Customs Code; OJ L 145 of 4.6.2008, p. 1 
2 Council Directive of 11 December 1989 concerning veterinary checks in intra-Community trade with a 
view to the completion of the Internal Market; OJ L 395 of 30.12.1989, p. 13 
3 Council Directive 90/425/EEC of 26 June 1990 concerning veterinary and zootechnical checks 
applicable in intra-Community trade in certain live animals and products with a view to the completion 
of the internal market; OJ L 224, 18.8.1990, p. 29 
4 Council Directive 2000/29/EC of 8 May 2000 on protective measures against the introduction into the 
Community of organisms harmful to plants or plant products and against their spread within the 
Community; OJ L 169, 10.7.2000, p. 1 
 
EN 4   EN – Coordinate the inspections carried out in the ports by the various administrative 
services (“one-stop administrative shop”); 
– Extend the scope of Pilot Exemption Certificates; 
– Introduce the use of the language most commonl y used at sea as an alternative to the 
national language(s) in administrative communication; 
– Create areas in ports dedicated to Short S ea Shipping where that can facilitate the 
operations for this mode. 
This combination and co-ordinated implementa tion of the measures will allow cost savings 
and productivity benefits while maintaining th e availability of essential information. 
Information on goods under Customs and other types of supervision (animal product, 
veterinary and phytosanitary) would still be available a nd have to be presented at spot checks. 
The package will allow a reducti on of administrative burden estimated at € 2.4 billion and 
environmental benefits estimated at € 182-365 millions during the period 2009-2040. The 
costs for designing, developing and operating th e measures are estimated at € 617 millions. 
They would be shared by the economic operato rs, essentially port authorities and shipping 
companies. The costs for national administrations would be negligible. 
The approach would not risk lowering stan dards and thus preserves the fundamental 
objectives of Customs and safety related regulations. 
It would help lowering the costs to businesses in  several Member States  and, subsequently, to 
consumers.