ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
DELACOMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEEDES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(78)238
Vol.1978/0078

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COMMISSION OFTHEEUROPEANCOMMUNITIES
COM(78)238final.
Brassels,30May1978»
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Proposalfora
COUNCILDIRECTIVE
concerning "theRatificationofConventiononsofity
inshipping
(submittedto*theCouncilby"theCommission;
Λ
Can(78)238final.

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
TheCopenhagen Council of7-8April 1978 asked theCommission to
propose ,within thewider context ofimproving safety inshipping ,
measures to "bring existing international rules into effect rapidly ,
particularly theminimum standards fortheoperation ofships . ,
Initscommunication totheCouncil of27April 1978 concerning
marine pollution "byoiltankers ^COM (78)184final7 »theCommission
noted that theestablishment ofminimum standard and inspection
procedures ,which hadbeen accomplished through theagreements concluded'
attheIMCO and theILO ,marked amajor step forward inrelation tothe
previous situation .Theagreements inquestion arethe 1974 International
Convention fortheSafety ofLife atSea (SOLAS ),asamended bythe1978
Protocol ,the 1973 Convention forthePrevention ofPollution byShips
(MARPOL ),asamended bythe1978 Protocol ,andILOConvention No147on
Minimum Standards forMerchant Shipping .
The Commission remarked initscommunication that thereason why
international action was ineffectual was not somuch that the measures
inquestion were inappropriate asthat theinternational agreements were
notreceiving effective application .Ratification bytheMember States
oftheSOLAS (1974 )andMARPOL (1973 )Conventions ,asamended in1978 ,
andILOConvention No147 Jcould accelerate their entry into force and is
anecessary first step towards theprevention ofaccidents such asthat
oftheAmoco-Cadiz .Inthepresent draft Council Decision -'which could
beadopted attheTransport Ministers' session on12June 1978 the
Commission ispropsoing that those three Conventions beratified bythose
Member States which have notalready done so.
Ratification byMember States isatpresent very uneven ,andunsystematic
ratification could affect conditions ofcompetition within theCommunity .
Thedraft Council Decision therefore sets deadlines bywhich theMember
States are tosign ,ratify oraccede .Even supposing theConventions enter
into force rapidly atinternational level ,they areinadequate bythemselves
toguarantee the effectiveness ofthe checks onminimum standards . Inthe
above-mentioned communication theCommission stressed theneed forrapid
application ofthechecks provided forandfortheir harmonization at
Community level ,soastoavert anyrisk ofdeflection oftrade ,andalso
forcommon action bytheMember States attheIMCO totighten upinspection
procedures .Theproposal foraCouncil Decision istherefore accompanied
byadraft statement asking theCommission topresent therequisite
proposals asquiokly aspossible .

PROPOSALFORACOUNCILDIRECTIVE ONTHERATIPTCATION"OP
CONVENTIONS ONSAFETYINSHIPPING
TheCounciloftheEuropeanCommunities ,
HavingregardtotheTreatyestablishing *theEuropeanEconomicCommunity,and
inparticularArticles49»84(2)and100thereof,
HavingregardtotheproposalfromtheCommission ,
HavingregardtotheOpinionoftheEuropeanParliament ,
HavingregardtotheOpinionofthe.EconomicandSocialCommittee ,-
Whereasthe.EuropeanCouncilofJ-8April1978declaredthattheprevention
andthefightagainstmaritimepollution,particularly byoil,mustbea
majorobjectiveforCommunityaction,andwhereasitaskedtheCouncil,
actingonaproposalfromtheCommission,andtheMemberStatestotake
appropriate measureswithintheCommunitywithoutdelayandtopresentcommon
positionsattheappropriateinternational forumsontherapidapplication
oftheexistinginternational rulesinthisfield,particularly onminimum' '
standardsfortheoperationofships; ^
WhereastheEuropeanCommunities *environmentactionprogrammeshavestressed
thatWesternEuropehasafundamentalinterestinseeingeffective ,action
undertakentoreducetherisksinherentinthetransportofoil,including
thedangerofseverecoastalpollutionastheresultofaccidentsonthehigh
seas,andhavespecifiedthat,ifvitalenvironmental equilibriaareto-be
preserved,prioritynruatbegiventoprotectingthequalityofseawater;
Whereassafetyinshippingcrustbeincreasedandtheliving -andworking
conditionsofcrews,andtheirlevelofcompetence,mustbesafeguarded ;
WhereasCommunityactioninthisfieldmustbeintegratedwiththatofthe
specializedinternational bodies,butwhereastheeffectiveness oftheaction
alreadytakenatinternational level,particularly bytheIMCOandtheILO'
andtindertheirConventions ,couldbejeopardisediftoolongaperiodwereto
elapsebetweentheconclusionofthoseConventions andtheirentryintoforce;
Whereasthe1974International ConventionfortheSafetyofLifeatSeaandthe
1978Protocolrelatingthereto(SOLAS)andILOConvention No147of
29September197$onMinimumStandardsforMerchantShipping,whichhavenot
yetenteredintoforce,canmakeasubstantialcontribution towardsimproving
bothtechnicalandwelfarestandardsaffecting,respectively ,thesafetyof
shipsandtheirequipment,andthelivingandworkingconditionsoftheircrews
Whereasthe1973ConventionforthePreventionofPollutionbyShipsasamended
bythe1978Protocol(MARPOL),oanmakeasubstantialcontribution towards
protectingthemarineenvironmentagainstpollutionbyships,particularlyoil
tankers;

Whereas thesignature andratification ortheaccession byalltheMember States
could accelerate theentry into force and increase the effectiveness ofthese
Convent ions J
Whereas ,iftheConventions were to "beratified unsystematically ,conditions
ofcompetition could "beaffected ,which would have adirect influence onthe
operation ofthe common markets
Concerning that theConvention No147oftheILOcontains common rules in
several areas which constitute afirst stage inthe field ofsocial harmoni­
zation within the sense ofArticle 117 ,and.,therefore facilitate theeffective
exercise ofthefree movement ofseamen intheCommunity#
Whereas theobject oftheConventions issuch that their ratification bythe
Member States cannot stand intheway ofeffective inspections
being -carried outwhen -aship enters aCommunity port ,
HASADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE : ,
Article 1
1.Where they have notalready done so,Member States shall ,where necessary ,
sign thefollowing international Conventions andratify them oraccede tothem
–the1974 International Convention fortheSafety ofLife atSea (SOLAS );
–the1978 Protocol relating tothe1974 International Convention forthe
Sa,fety ofLife atSea ; •
–the1973 International Convention forthePrevention ofPollution by
Ships (MARPOL ),asamended bythe1978 Protocol ;
–Convention No147onMinimum Standards forMerchant Shipping ,adopted by
theInternational Labour Conference in1976 .
2.Thesignature ,ratification oraccession bytheMember States shall take
place bythefollowing dates :
–the1974 SOLAS Convention :ratification oraccession assoon aspossible ,
and inanyevent by1January 1979 ;
–theProtocol thereto (1978 )i–signature assoon aspossible and,by
1March 1979 atthe latest ;
–ratification assoon aspossible ,and inany
event by30June 1979 ,
–theProtocol (1978 )amending andsupplementing theMARPOL Convention C1973)
andAnnex Ithereto ! -signature by 1June 1979 ;
-ratification before 1June 1980 .
–ILO Convention No147 s -ratification oraccession by1April 1979

Article 2
Member States shall inform inwriting theSecretary-General ofthe
Inter-Governmental Maritime Consultative Organization orofthe International
Labour Organization ,asappropriate ,that their signature ,ratification or
accession hastaken place inaccordance with this Directive .
This Directive isaddressed tothe -Member States .
Done at
FortheCouncil ,

DRAFT COUNCIL STATEMENT ONMORS STRINGENT SHIP INSPECTIONS
The Council oftheEuropean Communities considers itessential to
back uptheaction taken atinternational level through theinternational
organizations toprevent marine pollution caused byoildischarges and
toensure thesafety ofships and the competence oftheir crews . The
Council considers that ,with this inview ,theMember States andthe
Community should reinforce theinspections already ortobeprovided
forintheinternational Conventions ,notably "byapplying provisions
atCommunity level which will enable ships andcrews not fully meeting
therequirements oftheConventions tobeidentified .
The Council therefore asks theCommission topresent toitassoon
aspossibles
1.proposals for theharmonization ofthenational laws which have or
are tobetaken toimplement theConventions ,where such laws
concern theinspection ofships calling atCommunity ports or
using Community inland waterways ;
2.proposals aimed attheadoption ofacommon position atthe
IMCQ bytheMember States ,with aview toi
–making theprocedures anddirectives tobefollowed forchecking
ships anddischarge compulsory ,byAgreement ,where these arethe
subject ofIMCO Assembly resolutions ;
–undertaking similar joint action with regard totheresolutions
that have been oraretobeprepared bytheIMCO concerning the
inspection oftankers provided forinthe 1973 MARPOL Convention
asamended bythe1978 Protocol ,andthechecking onboard ship
ofcrews' certificates .
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