Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on the "Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive on the minimum level of training for seafarers (consolidated text)"
Date: 2000-10-19
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: crew, maritime shipping, recognition of diplomas, transport safety, vocational training

16.1.2001

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 14/41

Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on the ‘Proposal for a European Parliament and
Council Directive on the minimum level of training for seafarers (consolidated text)’

(2001/C 14/09)

On 23 June 2000 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under Article 71
of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the above-mentioned proposal.

The Section for Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and the Information Society, which was responsible for
preparing the Committee’s work on the subject, adopted its opinion on 8 September 2000. The
rapporteur was Mr Chagas.

At its 376th plenary session (meeting of 19 October 2000), the Economic and Social Committee adopted
the following opinion by 93 votes to none, with one abstention.

1.

Introduction

2. General comments

1.1.
The Economic and Social Committee has repeatedly
expressed its agreement with the Commission’s decision to
consolidate legislative measures which have been amended
several times, with the aim of making them more accessible
and comprehensible to the public.

1.2.
The present proposal for consolidation of Directive
94/58/EC (1) is justified by the fact that since its publication
it has been amended substantially, notably by Directive
98/35/EC (2) which took account of the amendments made by
the International Maritime Organisation in the 1995 revision
of the Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and
inter-
Watchkeeping for Seafarers, among other relevant
national provisions on safety of shipping, prevention of
pollution and living and working conditions on board.

1.3.
The consolidated text will ensure that the codified
directives’ content ‘is fully preserved, and they are brought
together with only such formal amendments as are required
by the codification exercise itself’.

(1) Council Directive 94/58/EC of 22 November 1994 on the
minimum level of training of seafarers (OJ L 319, 12.12.1994,
p. 28). — ESC opinion: OJ C 34, 2.2.1994, p. 10.

(2) Council Directive 98/35/EC of 25 May 1998 amending Directive
94/58/EC on the minimum level of training of seafarers (OJ L 172,
17.6.1998, p. 1) — ESC opinion: OJ C 206, 7.7.1997, p. 29.

Brussels, 19 October 2000.

2.1.
The Committee takes the view that establishment of,
and harmonised compliance with, standards of training and
certification of seafarers is one of the basic requirements for a
maritime transport policy which promotes safety at sea and
prevents pollution.

2.2.
It is equally important for the legislation to be access-
ible and comprehensible to those whom it concerns; otherwise
it will never fully achieve its objectives.

The Committee endorses the Commission proposal,
2.3.
which should help to systematise legislation on the training
and certification of seafarers.

The ESC still thinks it essential for the Member States
2.4.
to be empowered to carry out effective checks on the quality
of the certificates and training of seafarers — whether from
the EU or not — who use their ports. It therefore calls on the
the effective
Commission to carry out an assessment of
capacity currently available in the Member States, especially as
regards Port State Control, with a view to finding ways of
overcoming current deficiencies and omissions and ensuring
the maintenance of training and certification standards which
conform to international rules.

The President

of the Economic and Social Committee

Göke FRERICHS