WRITTEN QUESTION E-0329/00

by Mauro Nobilia (UEN) to the Commission

(11 February 2000)

Subject: Monopoly of the Italian Register of Shipping (R.I.N.A.)

The Italian Register of Shipping (R.I.N.A.), established in 1861, checks and inspects the seaworthiness and safety of merchant ships. This body, governed by private law, has the task of classifying vessels and can consequently issue the internationally valid safety certificates essential for navigation.

That being the case, could the Commission:

- ascertain whether the fact that the R.I.N.A. is a body governed by private law is incompatible with the monopoly powers which it exercises at national level for the purposes of certifying the safety of merchant ships;

- ascertain whether the fact that shipowners serve on the R.I.N.A. management board is contrary to Community rules, since the shipowners are placed in the awkward position of supervising themselves;

- take steps, if it thinks fit, with a view to setting up a supranational body to oversee the actions of bodies such as the R.I.N.A.?

Answer given by Mrs de Palacio on behalf of the Commission

(13 March 2000)

The transposition into the Italian law of Council Directive 94/57/EC(1) put an end to the monopoly that the Italian register of shipping (RINA) enjoyed in Italy for the issuance of safety certificates to merchant ships. The Italian law was adopted in 1998 and from that date onwards classification societies other than RINA will be in a position to carry out statutory tasks (arising from the international conventions) on behalf of the Italian administration. The private legal nature of RINA does not contravene with the provisions regulating the Community-wide recognition of classification societies laid down in the above mentioned Directive.

The presence of shipowners on the board of directors is a normal practice for classification societies. Together with the shipowners, there are other representatives of the shipping industry on the board of directors of these organisations. Their role is to guide the activities of the classification society, mainly by indicating their needs and requesting the establishment of specific rules. Of course, what needs to be verified is the compliance of RINA and of the other recognised organisations with the provisions of criterion A.6 of the Annex to the above mentioned Directive. This criterion states that the organization should not be controlled by shipowners or shipbuilders, or by others engaged commercially in the manufacture, equipping, repair or operation of ships. The organization should not be substantially dependent on a single commercial enterprise for its revenue. Compliance of RINA with these provisions will be verified during the forthcoming assessment to be carried out by the Commission.

The possibility of establishing a body to assess the activities of the classification societies in a centralised and harmonised manner has recently been raised by several interested parties. The Commission is at present in the process of analysing the feasibility and possible implications of the establishment of such a body. The Commission will keep the Parliament duly informed of its decisions on this matter in the shortest possible time.

(1) Council Directive 94/57/EC of 22 November 1994 on common rules and standards for ship inspection and survey organisations and for the relevant activities of maritime administrations (OJ L 319, 12.12.1994).