ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEEDES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(75)512
Vol.1975/0195

Disclaimer
Conformément aurèglement(CEE,Euratom)n°354/83duConseildu1erfévrier1983
concernantl'ouvertureaupublicdesarchiveshistoriquesdelaCommunauté économique
européenneetdelaCommunautéeuropéennedel'énergieatomique(JOL43du15.2.1983,
p.1),telquemodifiéparlerèglement(CE,Euratom)n°1700/2003du22septembre2003
(JOL243du27.9.2003,p.1),cedossierestouvertaupublic.Lecaséchéant,lesdocuments
classifiésprésentsdanscedossierontétédéclassifiésconformément àl'article5dudit
règlement.
InaccordancewithCouncilRegulation(EEC,Euratom)No354/83of1February1983
concerningtheopeningtothepublicofthehistoricalarchivesoftheEuropeanEconomic
CommunityandtheEuropeanAtomicEnergyCommunity(OJL43,15.2.1983,p.1),as
amendedbyRegulation(EC,Euratom)No1700/2003of22September2003(OJL243,
27.9.2003,p.1),thisfileisopentothepublic.Wherenecessary,classifieddocumentsinthis
filehavebeendeclassified inconformitywithArticle5oftheaforementioned regulation.
InÜbereinstimmung mitderVerordnung(EWG,Euratom)Nr.354/83desRatesvom1.
Februar1983überdieFreigabederhistorischen ArchivederEuropäischen
Wirtschaftsgemeinschaft undderEuropäischen Atomgemeinschaft (ABI.L43vom15.2.1983,
S.1),geändertdurchdieVerordnung(EG,Euratom)Nr.1700/2003vom22.September2003
(ABI.L243vom27.9.2003,S.1),istdieseDateiderÖffentlichkeitzugänglich.Soweit
erforderlich,wurdendieVerschlusssachen indieserDateiinÜbereinstimmung mitArtikel5
dergenanntenVerordnungfreigegeben.

COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEANCOMMUNITIES
COM(75)512 final
Brussels ,15October 1975
PROPOSAL FOR ACOUNCID DIRECTIVE
OFRECIPROCAL RECOGNITION
LICENCES
FOR INLAND WATERWAY VESSELS
(submitted totheCouncil bytheCommission )
COM (75)512final

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM . ,
β
GENERAL
Inaletter dated 12th May 1973 »theBelgian Government requested the
Commission tqpresent totheCouncil ,onthebasis of'Article -75ofthe
EEC Treaty ,4proposal forestablishing uniform technical control for
vessels operating oninland waterways andamandatory licence forinland
navigation intheCommunity .. < <,.
•7
Theprimary purpose ofacommon technical control forvessel ,?operating
oninland waterways andofastandard licence istopromote thesafety
ofthevessei ,.thepassengers andthecrew .Raising thegeneral standard
ofvessels a$deliminating barriers totraffic and trade should also
further theprosperity ofinland navigation . ' >
Toinitiate thedevelopment ofuniform technical control ,ithasbeen
shown tobebeneficial toachieve reciprocal recognition ofnavigability
licences oncondition that they meet common minimum standards .Because
reciprocal recognition isonly astarting point inaphieving uniform
technical control ,itisnecessary toprovide for alater adoption of
uniform technical requirements .
Thetask oflaying down technical provisions forthis means oftransport
would beconsiderable andtime-consuming ifitwere necessary tostart
from scratch ..However ,;work hasbeen dons and isbeing done onthe sub­
ject inother international organizations .Most important in ;tiiis con­
nection isthework inhand attheEconomic Commission forEurope in'
£teneva .TheWorking Party onInland Water Transport isnear thecom­
pletion ofRecommendations onUniform Technical Requirements forInland
Waterway Vessels .These recommendations will include technical provisions
covering :- . •• - •V

-General'provisions^..■ 7,..i
-Hull
-FreeboardandSafetydistances */
(,-Stabilityandsubdivision ,,_,■■'>'**'
......-Machinery . ^'''•;^ v
.;...^-Electricalinstallations :design *•*•,.-■.
_;*liigging,mastsandliftinggear' ^
-Anchoringandmooring /,».
-Liquifiedgasinstallations fordomesticuses...
-Steeringgearandwheelhouse
.rSpecialwheelhousearrangements enablingsteeringby.■.
'radarto"bedonebyoneperson
**'***"'-Fire'protection-' !, '
•'-Life-saving apjpliances .•.,
-VesselslicensedtocarrypassengersV''"'
-Vesselscarryingdangerousgoods
"-Automation 'v''.v•. ■ ' "
'*-Crewaccomodation..' '"1
Thevaluablework,alreadyundertakeninGenevaOnthis^subjectwillpro­
♦•/- .
videa.basisfordevelopment ofasoundtechnicalcontent.of•filture./v
Communityrulesforinlandnavigation. •s. •: ■u
•' .y
,THEARTICLES OFTHEDIRECTIVE ■:
Article1limitsthereciprocalrecognitiontogoodstransportof20^
tonnesormorewhichisthelimitinFrancefortheissueofanaviga­
bilitylicenceandwhichexceedsthelimitoftheRhineInspection .Cer­
tificatebyJ?tonnes;totransportofmore'than12.passengers *,whichis
inaccordancewiththedefinitionofapassengervesselpv-.the.ECE.draft
recommendations onuniformtechnicalrequirements forInlandWaterway .
vessels,andtonavigationofallothervesselswith'adisplacement of
20cubicmetresormore,orofanoveralllengthofmorethan15metres
whichistheupperlimitadoptedinthedraftdirectiveoftheremoval
oftechnicalbarrierstotradeforsmallerpleasurecraft*-

Waterways which are -regulated bythefiegulation onInspection oathe
itliino' ox19^7 araexcluded from this Directive because rules forthe
navigation onthese waterways already exist .This means that for
example vessels travelling ontheRhine still have tohave aRhine
inspection certificate .
Article 2requires each Member State tohave aprocedure for the issue
ofnavigability licences andestablishes therequirements which must be
met .Although this Directive does not lay down technical requirements ,
itisnecessary toprovide aminimum ofinformation inanavigability
licence ,soastogive thecompetent authorities inthecountries
visited thepossibility ofchecking that thevessel conforms tothese
requirements and issafe fornavigation . '
The right toissue alicence will have tobelimited for thetime being
totheState oforigin because the lack ofuniform technical require­
ments might otherwise result inapplications forvessels tobecertified
incountries with theleast stringent requirements .However ,assoon as
uniform technical requirements have been established ,this limitation
should bereviewed .
Article 3institutes thereciprocal recognition ofnavigability licences
andestablishes ,intheinterest ofgreater safety ,that reciprocal
recognition shall beforamaximum period offive years unless thelicence
isrenewed .
TheBiqaection Certificate fortheRhine ,which under theRhine regulations
maybevalid forupto10years ,isexempted from thegeneral maximum
period offive years because theconditions ofissue fortheInspection
Certificate arebased onstringent technical requirements which ensure
that thevessel ismaintained toahigh technical standard .

«*4.-. . I..;* .. "
Article kauthorizes Member States >todetain vessels which donot meat
the requirements ofthelicence orthe -Inspection Certificate for the
Rhine orareinahunsafe condition .This article provides anincentive
fortheproper maintenance ofvessels .
Article' 5provides for theadoption of ,uniform technical' standards ,
before 1stJanuary 1980 asamore .permanent basis forreciprocal fecog *-
nition ofnavigability licences .This _dolaywill enable theCommission
inconsultation with theappropriate bodies todetermine theprecise .
nature ofthetechnical requirements tobeadopted . '*■. ...
III .Theview oftheEuropean Parliament and theEconomic andSocial Commit­
»,v ?ï.• •. ■
teemust beobtained ,pursuant ,toArticle 751paragraph one ,ofthe .
EECtreaty * V;. ''.. •■>., ..
. • • 4'*.**'*/ . . - •'I":>

PROPOSAL FORACOUiiCILDIRECTIVE
GETRECIPROCAL RECOGITITIOII OP
NAVIGABILITY LICENCESFORD1LAKD
WATERWAYVESSELS..

i*6tf
THECOUNCILOFTHEEUROPEANCOIMUITITIES ,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishing theEuropeanEconomicCommunity,
andinparticularArticle75thereof;
HavingregardtotheproposalfromtheCommission }
HavingregardtotheopinionoftheEuropeanParliament ;
HavingregardtotheopinionoftheEconomicandSocialCommittee 5
WhereasthesafetyandprosperityofinlandnavigationintheCommunity
shouldhefurthered ;
Whereasitisbeneficialasafirststepinimprovingthetechnicalcon­
ditionstoachievereciprocalrecognitionofnavigability licencesfor
inlandnavigation ;
Whereasreciprocalrecognition needstobebasedonoertaingeneraluniform
conditionsfortheissuingofnavigability licencesandfortheminimum
quantityandqualityofinformation providedforinspection ;
Whereasitisnecessarythatvesselstransporting dangerousgoodscomply
withregulations ontransportofdangerousgoods;
Whereasforreasonsofsafety,thedurationofthevalidityofanavigability
licenceneedstobelimitedforpurposesofreciprocalrecognition .
* ••t■ >'• '
Whereas,itisnecessarytoestablishunderwhatcircumstances MemberStates
mayinterruptthepassageofavessel;
Whereasitisnecessarytofixatimelimitfortheadoptionofuniform
technicalrequirements 5 ,,
HASADCFEEDTHISDIRECTIVE :

**9«*
Artide 1 ,.•........ <.y. '■... .
This Directive applies totheuseof :
a)vessels used forgoods transport andhaving atotal deed
weight oftwenty tonnes ormore 5 '
"b)vessels used iorthetransport ofmore tlian twelve passengers f
'c)allother vessels with adisplacement oftwenty cubic metres
ormore ,orofanoverall length ofmore then 1*5ietres ^
oninland waterways othor than thos©' wat-3<Sways covered bythe'"Regulation
onInspection :ofSh3.ppd.rig an<fBhfts ontheRhine -of18November i&fc 1
Article 2
1.Member States arerequired tohave aprocedure .forthe ,issue' of
navigability licences .
2.Navigability licences shall heissued bytheMember State inwhich the
..vessel Isregistered orhas itshome port . ;•
3.Navigability licences shall bewritten inaCommunity language ,shall
provide atleast theinformation specified ihtheAppendix and "shall
employ thesane numbering system . •TheAppendix -shall'' form anintegral' "
part of ,this Directive . . -■ v
4Avessel carrying dangerous goods asdefined intheRegulation forthe
Transport ofDangerous Substances ontheRhine (ADKR)oof 29April 1970 »•
shall carry acertificate totheeffect that thesafety requirements
laid down inAppendixes AandBofthis regulation have been observed .
Article 3
1.AMember State shall give anavigability licence issued byanother Member
State inaccordance with Article 2fornavigation onitsnational water­
ways thesame effect asthough ithaditself issued thelicence .

2.Anavigabilitylicenceshallbevalidforreciprocalrecognitionprovided
thattheissuelastvalidationdate-iswi,thin .thepreviousfiveyears
endthelicencehasnotexpired.
3.TheCertificatefortheRhineshall "bereciprocally recognized
onallnavigablewaterwaysintheCommunityforitsfullduration.
Article4
1.AnyMemberStatemaywithdrawanavigability licencewhichishasissued.
2.AnyMemberStatemayinterruptthepassageofavessel,'wherethevessel
oritsequipmentisfoundbyinspectionnottobeinaccordancewith
therequirements ofthenavigabilitylicenceorthetopec±LoaCertificate
forRhineasthecasemaybe,orisinaconditionwhichclearly
.constitutes adangertothesurroundings ,untilthedefectshavebeen
corrected. '
3.AKerahorStatewhichhasinterruptedthepassageofavessel,orhas
indicateditsintentiontodosoifdefectsaren6tcorrected,shall
informthecompetentauthoritiesoftheMemberStatewherethenaviga^-
bilitylicenceorthelagxfctkmCertificateforthe-Rhinevasissued
ofthereasonsforthisaction.;• ' 1•
Articler)'
Assoonaspossibleandnotlaterthanthe1stJanuary1980,.theCouncil,
onthebasisofaproposalfromtheCommission,shalladoptCommunityprovi­
sionswhichestablishuniformtechnicalrequirements for.theissueofa
navigability licenceforinlandwaterwayvessels.
Article6 -<1■
MemberStatesshall,ingoodtimeandbeforethe (oneyearafterthe
adoptionofthedirectivebytheCouncil),afterconsultingtheCommission,
adoptsuchlaws,regulationsoradministrative provisionsasmaybenecessary
fortheimplementation ofthisDirective.
Article7
ThisDirectiveisaddressedtotheMemberStates.

p.9-
"'"·ν':"·'4 /;Τ·)5Ί '.ΐκ
MINIMUM INFORMATION INTHE LICENCES
Thementioned data areseparated in3types :-
1.Nomarking :always required
2.(x) :required ifapplicable
3«(+) :beneficial butoptional
1* .Name ofthecompetent authorities issuing thedocument
2.a) Name ofdocument -1 . 1
b)(+) Number ofdocument
'3»•-(x)..Issuing State - •' "-V
4. (x)Name anddomicile ofowner
5» Name ofvessel
6. (x)Place andnumber ofregistration
;7.», '"(x) .Jlome port ■
8. (+) Construction
9. (+) Utilisation
10. Main characteristics :-overall length inm
-overall breadth mm .
–depth below waterline atmaximum
.draft (s)inm
11. (x)Dead weight(s )intons ordisplacement (s)inm3forthe
maximum draft(s )
12. (xi Measurement mark
13* (x)Maximum authorized number ofpassengers
14. (x)Total power ofpropelling engines inHPorKW
13. Minimum freeboard(s )inmm
16.a) Thestatement :Thevessel indicated above iscertified for
navigation
b)(x)...indication ofnavigation restrictions
. .Subject tothe following conditions .
17*a) .-Date ofexpiration
b) Date ofissuing •
18. Signature ofissuing institution .