10.7.84 Official Journal of the European Communities NoC 183/17 
Proposal for a Council Decision on the ratification of the Torremolinos International 
Convention for the safety of fishing vessels and the application of the provisions thereof 
by the Member States pending the entry into force of the Convention at international 
level 
COM(84) 340 final 
(Submitted by the Commission to the Council on 25 June 1984) 
(84/C 183/06) 
THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN 
COMMUNITIES 
Having regard to the Treaty establishing the 
European Economic Community, and in particular 
Article 43 thereof, 
Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, 
Having regard to the opinion of the European 
Parliament, 
Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and 
Social Committee, 
Whereas the rational development of the common 
fisheries policy must help to improve the standard of 
living and living conditions of the population whose 
livelihood depends on fishing; whereas to this end 
Council Regulation (EEC) No 2908/83 of 4 October 
1983 on a common measure for restructuring, 
modernizing and developing the fishing industry and 
for developing aquaculture (') underlined the need to 
enhance the safety of the crews of fishing vessels; 
Whereas, moreover, under Article 117 of the Treaty, 
the Member States agreed upon the need to promote 
improved working conditions and an improved 
standard of living for workers, so as to make possible 
their harmonization while the improvement was being 
maintained; 
Whereas the Council resolution of 27 February 1984 
on a second programme of action of the European 
Communities on safety and health at work (2) 
provides for the establishment of specific measures to 
prevent accidents in certain high-risk activities and of 
equipment design principles; whereas sea-fishing is, 
by virtue of the particularly high number of accidents 
involving fishermen, a high-risk activity; 
Whereas the aim of improving crew safety can be 
achieved only if common rules are drawn up governing the construction and fitting-out of fishing 
vessels, and checks carried out in Community ports 
according to a uniform procedure to ensure that these 
rules are applied; 
Whereas Community action in this field must be 
integrated with initiatives already taken by specialist 
international organizations; 
Whereas the resolution adopted by the European 
Parliament on 29 March 1984 on the shipbuilding 
industry in the Community (3) calls for Community 
interests to be protected more effectively by ensuring 
general compliance with the rules of fair competition 
regarding compliance with the safety standards pres­
cribed by international agreements; 
Whereas the Torremolinos Convention on the safety 
of fishing vessels of a length of 24 metres or more, 
drawn up under the aegis of the International 
Maritime Organization (IMO) and still awaiting 
entry into force, is capable of making a substantial 
contribution to improving the standards of construc­
tion and fitting-out of vessels and to the protection of 
the crew; whereas the Convention incorporates 
monitoring procedures to ensure that the provisions 
of the Convention are applied; 
Whereas ratification of, or accession to, the 
Torremolinos Convention by all the Member States 
my speed up entry into force of the Convention, and 
will constitute a first stage towards attaining the 
Community's global of improving the safety of the 
crews of fishing vessels; 
Whereas several Member States have already ratified 
the Torremolinos Convention and have adopted the 
national measures needed to apply the provisions 
thereof; whereas uncoordinated application of the 
Convention is liable to affect the competition 
conditions within the Community and render the 
safety measures taken by some Member States 
ineffective; whereas it is therefore important to 
provide for the advance application of the provisions 
of the Torremolinos Convention by all the Member 
States pending entry into force of the Convention at 
international level, 
O OJ No L 290, 22. 10. 1983, p. 1. 
O OJ No C 67, 8. 3. 1984, p. 2. (5) OJ No C 117, 30. 4. 1984, p. 88. 
No C 183/18 Official Journal of the European Communities 10.7.84 
HAS ADOPTED THIS DECISION: Article 2 
Article 1 
1. Those Member States which have not yet done 
so shall ratify or accede to the Torremolinos Inter­
national Convention for the safety of fishing vessels 
(1977) as soon as possible, but by 30 June 1986 at the 
latest. 
2. The Member States shall inform the Secretariat-
General of the International Maritime Organization 
that they have ratified or acceded to the Convention 
in consideration of this Decision. The Member States shall take the necessary measures 
to ensure that the provisions of the Convention and 
the Annexes thereto come into force by 1 January 
1987 at the latest. 
Article 3 
The Member States shall inform the Commission of 
the arrangements made with regard to Articles 1 
and 2. 
Article 4 
This Decision is addressed to the Member States.