Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament on the training and recruitment of seafarers
Date: 2001-04-06
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: crew, maritime shipping, recognition of diplomas, recruitment, vocational training

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES

Brussels, 6.4.2001
COM(2001)188 final

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

on the training and recruitment of seafarers

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT

on the training and recruitment of seafarers

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 3

1.

1.1.

1.2.

The decline in the number of EU seafarers................................................................ 5

Data ......................................................................................................................... 5

Causes...................................................................................................................... 7

1.2.1.

The financial considerations of EU shipowners......................................................... 7

1.2.2.

The social aspects of employment as a seafarer......................................................... 7

1.3.

Implications.............................................................................................................. 8

2.

3.

Implementation of the Community and international acquis ..................................... 9

Proposals for action ................................................................................................ 11

3.1.

Promoting employment .......................................................................................... 12

3.1.1.

The “manning” proposal and further social partners’ initiatives on employment
issues

................................................................................................................... 12

3.1.2. Awareness Campaigns and related measures to promote employment..................... 13

3.2.

3.3.

Living and working conditions ............................................................................... 14

Focusing maritime education and training............................................................... 15

3.3.1. Maritime Education and Training (MET) ............................................................... 15

3.3.2. Community initiatives ............................................................................................ 17

3.4.

Support from the Research Programme................................................................... 17

4.

Conclusions and recommendations ......................................................................... 18

2

Introduction

The last two decades have seen a sharp decline in the supply of well-trained seafarers,
especially officers. A recent study1 in this field revealed a current world-wide shortage of
officers corresponding to 4% of the total workforce (16 000 officers) and predicted a 12%
shortfall (46 000 officers) by the year 2010. The European Union faces the same problem but
to an even more serious extent, with an estimated shortage of some 13 000 officers in 2001,
rising to around 36 000 officers in 2006.2

Since the early 1980s both the overall EU fleet and the number of EU seafarers have
declined.3 The total number of EU nationals employed on board EU-flagged vessels now
stands at some 120 000, a drop of 40% compared with 1985, while the number of non-EU
nationals employed on board EU vessels has increased since 1983 from around 29 000 to
some 34 500 today.4 The scheduled passenger and ferry industry in the EU is an exception to
this trend: this market is still served mainly by EU-flagged vessels crewed predominantly by
EU nationals, and it employs almost 50% of the EU Member States’ seafaring personnel
(20% in intra-EU services and 30% in cabotage). Some 30 300 seafarers are employed in the
intra-EU sector, with only 651 job positions occupied by non-EU nationals.

The industry, the Member States and the Commission have already addressed the issue of the
declining number of EU seafarers and the shortage of well qualified seafarers on several
occasions, and have agreed on the need to identify measures to tackle the problem. In 1996
the Commission presented an analysis in its Communication “Towards a new maritime
strategy”,5 identifying the need to place greater emphasis on promoting employment of EU
seafarers in connection with the competitiveness of EU registers and the safe operation of
ships. In its Resolution of 24 March 1997 on a new strategy to increase the competitiveness of
Community shipping,6 the Council of Ministers of the European Union endorsed the
Commission’s Communication and inter alia recognised that positive measures were needed
to foster the employment of Community seafarers. In particular, the Council agreed that
action should be undertaken to help Community shipping continue to strive for high quality
and become more competitive. This is to be achieved by, inter alia, ensuring the continued
high-quality training of Community seafarers of all ranks and of shore-based personnel by
making optimum use of the resources of the Member States and of Community instruments.

In December 1996 the European Commission and the Irish Presidency of the EU Council of
Ministers organised an international Conference in Dublin under the title “Is the European
Union Seafarer an endangered species?”. The purpose of the Conference was to contribute to
the discussion on the Commission’s Communication “Towards a new maritime strategy” by

1

2

3

4

5

6

BIMCO (Baltic and International Maritime Council)/ISF (International Shipping Federation) 2000
Manpower Update – The World-wide Demand for and Supply of Seafarers – April 2000 (hereinafter
“BIMCO/ISF 2000 Manpower update”).
Source: Joint Study of the Federation of Transport Workers’ Unions in the European Union (FST) and
of
the European Community Shipowners’ Association (ECSA): “Improving the Employment
Opportunities for EU Seafarers: An Investigation to Identify Seafarers Training and Education
Priorities” (1998) (hereinafter “FST/ECSA Joint Study”).
For the purposes of this document, an EU seafarer is a national of an EU Member State employed as a
seafarer.
Based on the FST/ECSA Joint Study (see footnote 2).
COM(96) 81 final “Towards a new maritime strategy”, 13.3.1996.
OJ C 109, 8.4.1997, p. 1.

3

analysing the employment situation for Community seafarers, studying the causes and
economic consequences of their disappearance and finding solutions to that problem. The
Conference expressed a common acknowledgement that European seafarers are vital to the
proper functioning of Europe’s maritime industry and stressed the need for action to re-
establish a highly skilled pool of seafarers of all ranks. It proposed a number of practical
measures and recommended that industries and administrations integrate these into their
deliberations. A number of recommendations on the same subject were also adopted at the
Plenary session of the Maritime Industry Forum, held in Helsinki in June 2000.

The general interest in the dramatic decline in EU seafarer numbers is also reflected in the
number of studies and research projects which have been carried out in this field, including
the 1996 “Study on the maritime professions in the European Union” (financed by the
Commission), the 1998 FST and ECSA Joint Study7 and the METHAR research project8
(funded by the European Commission under the Transport RTD Programme of the 4th
framework programme). These have all proposed possible measures to remedy the current
rapid decline in EU seafarer numbers. However, only a few isolated measures have been
taken by certain national associations of shipowners and by some Member States.

With the present Communication, the European Commission wishes to provide an update on
the decline in the number of EU seafarers and an analysis of the reasons behind it, the
possible implications for the EU shipping community and the measures necessary to reverse
it. The Commission is aware that any measure affecting the human element has an impact on
the competitive situation of shipowners, but considers that the evaluation of alternative
solutions can no longer wait if we want to improve the present worrying situation.

Employment and training are two issues for which the Member States have prime
responsibility. The Commission does not intend to replace the Member States in this field.
However, it wishes to stimulate an urgent and productive discussion on this matter, involving
all the actors concerned, and to facilitate and closely monitor the actual implementation of the
possible remedial measures. These measures will have to be implemented at both Community
and national level. As the extent of the problem varies within the EU, Member States will
need to adapt the suggested initiatives to their specific needs and circumstances.

7

8

See footnote 2.
METHAR: Harmonisation of European Maritime Education and Training Schemes.

4

1.

THE DECLINE IN THE NUMBER OF EU SEAFARERS

1.1.

Data

The world fleet has expanded in recent years, and on 1 January 2000 total tonnage stood at
over 506 million gross tonnes (gt).9 Meanwhile, a slight increase in the tonnage of the EU-
registered fleet between 1998 and 1999 has not prevented the EU percentage of the world
the
fleet declining over recent years to its current
proportion of ships controlled by EU interest remains substantial, estimated at around 33% of
the world fleet.

level of around 13%. Nonetheless,

World and EU merchant fleet development – Number of ships over 300 gt

120

100

80

8
8
9
1

9
8
9
1

0
9
9
1

1
9
9
1

2
9
9
1

3
9
9
1

4
9
9
1

5
9
9
1

6
9
9
1

7
9
9
1

8
9
9
1

9
9
9
1

0
0
0
2

Index 1988 = 100

World
EU

World

A recent study10 estimated the world-wide supply of seafarers for 2000 to be 404 000 officers
and 823 000 ratings, compared with a world-wide demand for 420 000 officers and 599 000
ratings. This appears to indicate a modest shortfall of officers required to man the world fleet
(16 000, i.e. 4 % of the total workforce). The study emphasised that, in practice, this shortfall
of 16 000 officers is more severe if account is taken of the obstacles which prevent the
surpluses in some nationalities of seafarers from making up the shortages experienced by
lack of
other countries. These obstacles include cultural and language differences,
international experience, and the nationality restrictions that apply to many flags.

The table below summarises the data provided above and indicates the predicted world-wide
supply and demand of seafarers in the year 2010.

9

10

Source: Institute of Shipping Economics and Logistics (ISL) – Shipping Statistics and Market Review
January/February 2000.
BIMCO/ISF 2000 Manpower Update (see footnote 1).

5

World-wide balance between supply and demand for seafarers11

2000

Officers

- 16 000

%

- 4

2010

- 46 000

Ratings

+ 224 000

+ 27

+ 255 000

%

- 12

+ 30

The decline in the number of EU seafarers has been sharper than the decline in the EU fleet:
they currently number some 120 000, representing a fall of about 40% since the early 1980s.
The following table shows clearly how the number of EU seafarers on board EU-registered
ships has declined over the last fifteen years, while the number of non-EU seafarers has
increased.

Number of EU and non-EU seafarers employed on board EU registered ships12

Year

Officers

Ratings

Total

EU

Non-EU

EU

Non-EU

EU

Non-EU

85 140

1 144

120 496

27 781

205 637

28 926

158 457

27 579

52 255

2 551

76 473

30 480

128 728

33 031

120 541 (*)

34 534 (*)

1985

1990

1995

1998-99

(*) 1996 figures for UK and Greece

It is estimated that the shortage of officers in the EU might reach around 13 000 in 2001,
rising to some 36 000 by 2006.13 This dramatic situation is exacerbated by the age element:
the average age of officers in the OECD14 countries is much higher than that of the Far
Eastern, Eastern and Indian workforce. There are two main reasons for this: first of all,
service at sea in the OECD countries is becoming shorter, with most seafarers moving to
careers on shore long before they are forty; secondly, financial pressures have forced many
shipping companies to take on board junior officers from third countries, as they are less
expensive than their OECD counterparts. At present, most OECD officers are in the senior
ranks (60% of EU officers are aged over 40), while most developing country officers are in
the junior ranks. It can be expected that the senior OECD officers will, on retirement over the
next few years, be replaced by nationals of less developed nations.

The clear message is that the current shortage of officers will worsen unless remedial action is
taken immediately. As for the likely substantial surplus of ratings, this needs to be analysed
carefully since it is doubtful that all these ratings are qualified for international service. It

11

12

13

14

BIMCO/ISF 2000 Manpower Update (see footnote 1).
Sources: Study on the maritime professions in the European Union (TecnEcon, 1996) and ECSA
Annual Report (1998-1999).
Source: FST/ECSA Joint Study (see footnote 2).
Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development.

6

should also be borne in mind that, given the appropriate training, ratings can become officers.
It is therefore important to make sure that the current sufficient availability of EU ratings does
not deteriorate. Member States and social partners should keep this in mind when planning
action to halt the decline in the numbers of EU seafarers.

1.2.

Causes

There are two sides to the general issue addressed in this Communication: demand for EU
seafarers is falling, and so is the supply of trained seafarers. The main reasons for this are the
financial considerations of EU shipowners, and social aspects which discourage young people
from considering a career at sea.

1.2.1.

The financial considerations of EU shipowners

As indicated above, the EU fleet has declined in recent years while the world fleet has
expanded. This is understandable given that EU freight rates remained stagnant after the
world-wide recession of the 1990s, while world freight rates recovered very quickly. In
response to the financial pressure put on them by the oversupply of shipping tonnage on the
world market and increasing competition from third-country vessels, a number of EU
shipowners decided to reduce their costs by registering their ships under non-EU flags or
under second national registers.

In so doing, these EU shipowners took the opportunity to replace seafarers from the EU with
non-EU labour and consequently to lower, inter alia, their wage costs. The substantial wage
difference between EU and non-EU seafarers is certainly a key factor in shipowners’
employment policies. It is calculated that the highest EU wage for able seamen is some 15
times higher than the lowest non-EU wage (both wages including social costs) and 5.6 times
higher for chief officers.15 These wage differences are even more significant if consideration
is given to the fact that wage costs account for 40% of a ship’s daily operating costs and
represent the largest single variable cost in ship operations.

However, a distinction needs to be drawn between ratings and officers. Despite the wage
difference, shipowners appear more inclined to hire EU officers for a number of reasons
ranging from safety considerations, type of ship and technical standards on board (the more
expensive officers tend to be better educated and trained) to cultural links.

1.2.2.

The social aspects of employment as a seafarer

Despite there being a shortage of qualified seafarers, fewer and fewer European youngsters
are choosing maritime careers, considering them socially and financially unattractive
compared with positions on shore. Not even the high levels of youth unemployment in the EU
appear to have offset this trend.

Young people are increasingly unwilling to spend long periods of time at sea, far away from
their relatives, children and friends. Even the more attractive sides of the job, such as the
possibility of exploring the world and visiting exotic places, seems to have disappeared as a
result of modern navigational practices, whereby ships only stay in port for short periods, or
remain outside the harbour for their commercial operations. Moreover, modern ships only
have small crews, very often of different nationalities and speaking different languages, which
can lead to social isolation.

15

Source: FST/ECSA Joint Study (see footnote 2).

7

An important indicator of the fact that young people do not regard seafaring jobs as an
interesting occupation is the high drop-out rate from maritime education and training: the
average drop-out rate in the EU is between 22% and 32%, but can be as high as 60% or 70%
in some Member States.16

The Commission believes it is essential that action be taken to reverse this situation. Of all the
possible solutions described below, the most urgently needed is the creation of a new image
for seafaring employment
in particular and for the maritime industry in general. Public
authorities and social partners should work together to transform maritime employment into
appealing careers and so attract young Europeans to sea.

1.3.

Implications

The current lack of EU seafarers could have dramatic consequences. Well trained seafarers
means safe navigation, efficient operations, good maintenance of ships and a reduction in the
number of accidents and marine pollution (80% of all accidents are caused by human error).
Personnel from certain labour-supplying countries outside the Community are – generally
speaking – less well trained than Community personnel (e.g. seafarers holding third-country
certificates which fail to meet the requirements of the IMO Convention on Standards of
Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW Convention) and are not recognised by
Member States). Shipping being a vital activity for the EU (90% of the Union’s external trade
and over 35% of its internal trade relies on maritime transport), it cannot afford to lose this
basic pool of experience if it wants to avoid endangering safety and the environment and
jeopardising the competitiveness of its shipping and related maritime industry. It should be
emphasised that these considerations apply to both officers and ratings, since safe and
efficient ship operations depend upon the technical skills and team-working ability of the
entire crew, irrespective of rank.

Oil transport deserves particular consideration in this context. The Community imports 80%
of its total oil requirements, almost all of it by sea. It is therefore important to ensure the
independence and security of oil transportation into the EU. This strategic consideration
means the competent authorities in the Community need to consider carefully the need to
maintain EU maritime know-how and keep strict control of the EU oil-tanker fleet when
formulating maritime policy in general and policies on maritime personnel in particular.

The shortfall of EU seafarers may also impact negatively on a whole range of related
industries. A wide range of land-based employers look upon seafaring experience as an
advantage or a pre-requisite when recruiting personnel. Ports, shipping companies, inspection
bodies (classification societies, port State control authorities, flag administrations), insurance
companies, shipbuilders and ship-repair companies, marine equipment manufacturers, etc.
prefer or are obliged to recruit former seafarers. For a number of reasons ranging from
cultural similarities and language to knowledge of local/national customs and regulations,
positions within these companies are not easily filled by non-European former seafarers. It is
therefore evident that the expected shortage of EU seafarers will lead in the longer term to a
shortage of personnel for the EU’s shipping-related activities. The know-how and experience
gained by EU seafarers during their time at sea needs to be retained if the EU wants to avoid a
loss to the shipping industry as a whole.

16

Source: FST/ECSA Joint Study (see footnote 2).

8

To conclude, if the present decline in EU seafarers continues, the Community could lose an
important historical and professional heritage. Nautical schools might have to close and
maritime know-how in the Community as a whole could disappear, with dramatic
consequences for the safety of navigation, security of supply and the competitiveness of the
entire shipping industry.

2.

IMPLEMENTATION OF THE COMMUNITY AND INTERNATIONAL ACQUIS

Various legislation covering persons employed on board ships already exists at Community
level. It falls into two categories: social legislation covering all workers, and legislation
specific to seafarers.

• The first category includes all Directives on the health and safety of workers (some
twenty in all). These cover a whole range of areas such as the protection of workers against
exposure to chemical and biological agents, carcinogens, asbestos and ionising radiation,
the medicines which have to be carried on board ships and the use of personal protective
equipment. A full list is given in annex, though the importance should be underlined of the
framework Directive on health and safety, which, if properly applied in the workplace,
provides means of preventing accidents and additional protection in the event of an
accident.

The first category also includes the Directives on equal treatment for men and women.
The employment of women on board ships is still unsatisfactory, but the existence of a
legal framework to prevent discrimination can only help improve the situation.

A third group of acts deal with social security and conditions of employment. Regulation
No 1408/71, which facilitates workers’ mobility by guaranteeing them non-discriminatory
treatment if they move from one Member State to another, applies to seafarers. As for
conditions of employment, seafarers are covered by all the adopted Directives except those
relating to protection of workers in the event of transfers of undertakings or collective
redundancies and Directive 96/71/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of
16 December 1996 concerning the posting of workers in the framework of the provision of
services17 (the Council of Ministers considered these acts to be unsuited to the specific
features of the maritime sector). The Directive on the insolvency of employers allows
Member States to exclude seafarers, and some have so done.

• The second category covers Directives specific to seafarers, such as those on working
time on board ships18 and the training of seafarers.19 As mentioned above, 80% of
maritime accidents are caused by human error. These two Directives are thus important in
that they bolster the human element by preventing fatigue and ensuring that crews are
properly trained. The Directive on working time is the first sectoral agreement between

17

18

19

OJ L 18, 21.1.1997, p. 1.
Council Directive 1999/63/EC of 21 June 1999 concerning the Agreement on the organisation of
working time of seafarers concluded by the European Community Shipowners' Association (ECSA) and
the Federation of Transport Workers' Unions in the European Union (FST) - Annex: European
Agreement on the organisation of working time of seafarers (OJ L 167, 2.7.1999, p. 33). Directive
1999/95/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 December 1999 concerning the
enforcement of provisions in respect of seafarers' hours of work on board ships calling at Community
ports (OJ L 14, 20.1.2000, p. 29).
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).

9

social partners based on the social chapter of the Treaty. It goes hand in hand with a
Directive on its enforcement in European ports. The Directive on the training of seafarers
is based on the STCW Convention; it introduced a Community procedure for recognising
third country certificates and represents a major step forward in ensuring the quality of
crews and rehabilitating the maritime profession.

In addition to the Directives on protection of workers, the Union has created an instrument
geared more towards promotion of employment, viz.
the guidelines on State aid to
maritime transport. The first guidelines date from 1989, and were revised in 1997. They are
designed to promote the competitiveness of European fleets (under serious threat from open
flags offering social and fiscal conditions which do not compare to those of the Member
States), while at the same time encouraging the employment of European seafarers, thus
helping to preserve maritime know-how in the Union and improve safety on board ships.
They lay down the conditions under which Member States may provide aid in the form of tax
exemptions and aid for the employment and training of European seafarers. More specifically,
they allow (a) reduced rates of contributions for the social protection of Community seafarers
employed on board ships registered in a Member State and (b) reduced rates of income tax for
Community seafarers on board ships registered in a Member State.

Since the revised guidelines were published, a growing number of Member States have
implemented employment-related measures or introduced special training schemes. Some
three years into the application of the revised guidelines, the first monitoring reports are
showing these measures to be having a beneficial effect, especially in terms of a reduction in
out-flagging and even a certain tendency to flag ships back towards Member States’ registers.
Accordingly, the Commission invites all Member States to consider how the most appropriate
use can be made, at national level, of the options offered by the State aid guidelines. The
Commission services will continue to monitor the results of the application of the guidelines,
and will take those results into account when drafting the next revision of the guidelines,
particularly in respect of measures to encourage employment.

At international level, two specialised UN agencies handle social matters in the broad sense:
the IMO (International Maritime Organisation) deals with “safety”, while the ILO
(International Labour Organisation) handles the social side. The IMO adopted the above
mentioned STCW Convention while the international ILO conventions relating to seafarers
are listed at Annex II. The Member States of the Union have ratified all these acts, and are
thus bound by them.

As far as implementation is concerned, the existing Community legislation applicable to
ships in the field of health and safety at work has in general been correctly transposed by the
Member States. However, the Commission undertakes to check whether it is being fully
applied in the maritime transport sector. Such a check was specifically requested by the
Council of Transport Ministers in its conclusions of 21 December 2000 on maritime safety.

The Commission will also do everything it can to ensure that the Community measures
transposing the STCW Convention and the International Safety Management (ISM) Code20
into Community law continue to be correctly applied by the Member States. In parallel, it will
check that the third countries which provide much of the maritime industry’s manpower are

20

Council Directive 94/58/EC (see footnote 19) and Council Regulation (EC) N° 3051/95 of 8 December
1995 on the safety management of roll-on/roll-off passenger ferries (ro-ro ferries) (OJ L 320,
30.12.1995, p. 14).

10

complying with the provisions of the STCW Convention. In addition, it will work in close
cooperation with the IMO, and through application of the Community Directive on Port State
Control,21 to ensure that these instruments are applied comprehensively and effectively at
world level. As far as the Directive on seafarers’ hours of work is concerned, the Commission
reminds Member States that its smooth implementation requires the ratification of the ILO
Seafarers’ Hours of Work and the Manning of Ships Convention (N° 180) and the Protocol to
the ILO Merchant Shipping (Minimum Standards) Convention (N° 147).

While Port State Control will help to monitor the correct application of existing Community
and international legislation, transparency will be provided through Equasis.22 Since the
presence of well trained seafarers on board ships is universally recognised as a key element in
ensuring safety at sea, the Supervisory Committee and the Editorial Board of Equasis have
agreed that the insertion of a human element module in the database would be in line with the
idea of providing information on the safety features of each individual ship. The human
element module has still to be developed, but it is envisaged that it will contain information
on application of the STCW Convention, fraudulent certificates, compliance with the working
time and other ILO Conventions, cases of abandoned seafarers or unpaid wages, safe manning
certificates, crew complaints and the existence of collective agreements.

3.

PROPOSALS FOR ACTION

As mentioned in section 2, important measures to enhance health and safety at work, as well
as working conditions on board ships, are already in force at Community level. Instruments to
promote the employment of Community seafarers have also been adopted or are under
discussion in the competent fora. The Commission takes the view that action to reverse the
decline in the number of EU seafarers should not – at least for the time being – involve any
further proposals for specific legislation focused on employment issues. Instead, it is correct
implementation of the existing legislation and appropriate use of the relevant Community
instruments which should contribute to reversing the current employment trends.

However, one issue the Commission does intend to examine to determine whether further
Community legislation is necessary is that of abandoned ships. Vessels are frequently
abandoned in Community ports and their crews remain on board without being paid a salary.
On top of the unacceptable humanitarian consequences of these situations, abandoned ships
also create problems for ports in their daily commercial activities by reducing the space
available. The Commission will examine the option of proposing legislation allowing ports to
sell abandoned ships. At the same time, it will examine the possibility of applying to ships the
provisions of the Directive on the transfers of undertakings, businesses or parts of
businesses23 as well as the Directive on collective redundancies.24 It seems only appropriate to

21

22

23

Council Directive 95/21/EC of 19 June 1995 concerning the enforcement, in respect of shipping using
Community ports and sailing in the waters under the jurisdiction of the Member States, of international
standards for ship safety, pollution prevention and shipboard living and working conditions (port State
control) (OJ L 157, 7.7.1995, p. 1).
Equasis is a data system collecting existing safety-related information on ships from both public and
private sources and making it available on the Internet (www.equasis.org). Equasis was developed by
the Commission and the French Maritime Administration following a unanimous request for more
transparency put forward in the framework of the Quality Shipping Campaign launched by the
Commission and the United Kingdom authorities in 1997.
Council Directive 77/187/EEC of 14 February 1977 on the approximation of the laws of the Member
States relating to the safeguarding of employees' rights in the event of transfers of undertakings,
businesses or parts of businesses (OJ L 61, 5.3.1977, p. 26).

11

ensure that seafarers working on board Community ships enjoy at least the same protection as
other Community workers, and to prevent seafarers working on board Community ships being
abandoned.

The Commission believes the Member States and the social partners – in particular through
the Social Dialogue Committee on Maritime Transport – can take a number of important
practical steps in this area. They all have an interest in finding a rapid solution to the shortage
of EU seafarers and their efforts in this direction should be coordinated so as to achieve the
best possible results. Of course, EU shipowners must be directly and fully involved in this
exercise, both from the training point of view and by contributing to a re-launch of the
maritime sector’s image. Public authorities will need to provide all possible support to
shipowners, in particular by reducing the cost disadvantages linked to the employment of EU
seafarers. The maritime academies also have an important role to play by providing the best
possible training and by helping to re-launch the overall image of the maritime sector.

The Commission therefore recommends to all these actors that they combine their efforts in
order to tackle the current shortfall of EU seafarers and implement the priority actions listed
below.

3.1.

Promoting employment

3.1.1.

The “manning” proposal and further social partners’ initiatives on employment
issues

Scheduled passenger and ferry services within the European Union constitute a labour-
intensive sector employing some 30 000 EU seafarers. At present the market is served mainly
by EU-flagged vessels, crewed predominantly by EU nationals. Almost 50% of the EU
Member States’ seafaring personnel are employed in this sector (20% in intra-EU services
and 30% in cabotage). The Commission’s services believe the recent tendency to use non-EU
seafarers in this sector (initially in catering, then in the officer ranks) will continue and even
increase as a result of market developments and the competitive pressure on certain routes. In
response to this, the Commission adopted on 29 April 1998 a Communication on a common
policy on manning of regular passenger and ferry services operating in and between Member
States, with two proposals attached: a proposal for a Council Regulation amending Council
Regulation No 3577/92 applying the principle of freedom to provide services to maritime
transport within Member States (maritime cabotage) and a proposal for a Council Directive
on manning conditions for regular passenger and ferry services operating between Member
States.25

The proposed Directive provides that non-EU nationals employed on board regular passenger
ships and ferries operating between EU ports must enjoy labour conditions comparable to
those enjoyed by EU nationals. The Commission believes that by imposing EU standards for
seafarers employed in this labour-intensive sector the Directive will create a level playing
field and prevent social dumping and the distortion of competition brought about by the
employment of third-country seafarers at non-EU wage rates. It will prevent the further
replacement of EU seafarers by lower-cost non-EU nationals and will maintain employment
opportunities for EU seafarers by preserving one of their last remaining significant sectors of

24

25

Council Directive 98/59/EC of 20 July 1998 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States
relating to collective redundancies (OJ L 225, 12.8.1998, p. 16).
OJ C 213, 9.7.1998, p. 17.

12

employment (particularly for ratings and catering staff). Lastly, the prospect of continuing to
supply labour to this sector might boost the training of EU seafarers.

While continuing the discussions in the Council and the European Parliament,
the
Commission considers it would be useful to offer in parallel to the social partners the
possibility of discussing among themselves the problem of EU seafarers in the scheduled
passenger and ferry sector being replaced by cheaper non-EU nationals. The Commission
believes the social partners might approach the problem from different angles and find
different solutions to those proposed by the Commission in its Communication of 1998 (terms
and conditions of employment). Given that the social partners have cooperated successfully in
the past, both for the adoption of the Agreement on the organisation of working time of
seafarers and in providing the Commission with a joint contribution to the drafting of this
the Commission believes it might be possible to adopt a voluntary
Communication,
agreement on this issue as well. Furthermore, the social partners might – if they so wish – also
discuss amongst themselves the possibility of extending the voluntary agreement to other
issues, such as the enhancement of training (including the availability of places for training on
board), the improvement of living and working conditions, the definition of career paths, and
wage levels.

3.1.2.

Awareness campaigns and related measures to promote employment

One of the most urgently needed actions to attract young people to the seafaring profession is
a re-launch of the maritime industry’s image. Of all the possible initiatives in this area, the
Commission recommends the organisation of coordinated awareness campaigns, at both
national and European level. Similar events have already been organised in a number of
Member States and have proved valuable in showing the positive aspects of the maritime
professions and giving young people the facts about the opportunities and implications of
seafaring careers. Since one of the positive elements in choosing a career at sea is the wide
range of employment opportunities for seafarers in a large number of maritime-related
activities, awareness campaigns could provide a useful opportunity to publicise career paths
for EU seafarers, from first employment on board to possible job offers ashore after a
reasonable number of years at sea. Furthermore, awareness campaigns could help to attract
youngsters of the right calibre to the maritime sector and to reduce the number of trainees
abandoning their studies before completion. Finally, the campaigns – to be carried out in the
Member States and adapted to specific circumstances – could also provide a good opportunity
to promote women’s access to the seafaring professions in the EU.

Seafaring has historically been a male career, and it is true that combining family life and
work at sea can be more difficult for women than for men. However, there are certain
occupations which women can already take up more easily, such as those on board scheduled
ferry services. The social partners should make every effort to promote and facilitate women’s
access to the seafaring professions, especially those which may be more attractive to women.
The awareness campaigns might offer a useful opportunity in this respect. The social partners
should also tackle the existing unacceptable problems of discrimination and prejudice
encountered by many women employed aboard EU ships.26

26

In a recent survey conducted by NUMAST (National Union of Marine Aviation and Shipping Transport
Officers) among its female members, 76% of respondents said they had suffered sexual harassment at
sea and 47% said they had experienced sexual discrimination.

13

Measures to promote female employment on board ships would be in line with the IMO plan
for the integration of women in the maritime sector and with the STCW recommendation that
special consideration be given to securing equal access by men and women in all sectors of
the maritime industry, that the role of women in the seafaring profession be highlighted and
that their increased participation be promoted in maritime training and at all levels in the
maritime industry. All measures to promote female employment on board EU ships and to
combat discrimination and prejudice against women would be also in line with the general
Community policy of equal treatment for men and women. In this respect, the Commission
recommends that the Member States and social partners ensure that existing legislation in the
field of gender equality is properly applied and that
the recently proposed legislation
outlawing sexual harassment in the workplace27 is adopted rapidly.

3.2.

Living and working conditions

Shipowners can do a lot to make life on board ships more attractive and to show that living
and working conditions have appealing aspects. Modern information technologies offer a
wide range of options here. For instance, seafarers should be offered the possibility of staying
in touch with their families and friends via e-mail. Consideration should be given to installing
computer rooms on board ships, and computers could be provided to the seafarers’ families at
home. Providing ships with reading rooms, music equipment and video-recorders might be
another option. Of all such measures, the most
important seems to be the planning of
convenient rotation times between sea and shore. Shipowners and union representatives
should find a balanced compromise between seafarers’ wishes to spend more time ashore and
companies’ financial burdens (repatriation of crews and the need to have two crews for one
ship).

Consideration should also be given to improving living conditions on board by using the
modern technology of long-distance medical consultation (telemedicine). Research projects
financed by the Commission have shown that, to protect the health and safety of seafarers, it
is possible to set up an integrated 24-hour multilingual world-wide emergency service to
transfer medical expertise via satellite and ground-based ISDNs (Integrated Services Digital
Networks). Requests for help at sea may be broadcast over ship-to-shore links feeding into an
ISDN of health service providers and then routed to suitable specialists. Health
teleconsultants will also be able to interact from afar with local multimedia medical guides to
demonstrate suitable procedures to on-the-spot paramedics.

Directly related to all measures to improve living and working conditions on board are
measures designed to restore the social prestige and job satisfaction once found in the
seafaring professions. The social partners should determine which measures might have the
desired effect and should implement them as a matter of urgency. In particular, since only a
considerable difference in salary between ship and shore jobs will convince EU youngsters to
go to sea and keep existing seafarers at sea, the Commission invites EU shipowners to give
close consideration to the need to raise the salaries of the officers working on their ships. It is

27

Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Directive
76/207/EEC of 9 February 1976 on the implementation of the principle of equal treatment for men and
women as regards access to employment, vocational training and promotion, and working conditions
(COM/2000/334 final).

14

worth recalling here the recent statistics issued by the International Labour Organisation
showing a fall in the average rates for able EU seafarers between 1992 and 1999.28

3.3.

Focusing maritime education and training

3.3.1. Maritime Education and Training (MET)

The key to improving the qualifications of EU seafarers and enhancing their employability
and mobility is proper maritime training. Well trained seafarers will in turn help Europe’s
maritime
safety and
environmental protection standards. Indeed, safety and environmental protection will be
impossible in the long term without investment in quality seafarers.

industry to become more

and achieve higher

competitive

The maritime institutes in the EU provide high-quality training, and EU seafarers are
generally considered to be amongst the best trained in the world. However, the declining
interest in seafaring careers has led to a surplus of study places in Europe’s 120 or so MET
institutes, whose future survival now seems uncertain. Furthermore, continual changes in the
regulatory framework, modern technology and the operation of the global shipping industry
mean that a tremendous effort is required to adapt to the new circumstances, and a fragmented
European MET system might have difficulty coping with them.

Maritime training – like any other form of training – is an issue for which Member States
have prime responsibility. Public authorities and shipowners – who in future will have to
invest more in the training and long-term career development of their company staff – need to
work together to preserve and improve the European MET systems. The Commission does
not intend to replace the Member States or the social partners in this field. However, while
respecting the subsidiarity principle, it wishes to draw the attention of all the relevant actors to
a number of measures which might be taken to help the MET system as a whole meet the
significant challenges facing it.

The first challenge for the MET system is to provide quality seafarers capable of working
on board modern high-quality ships. To ensure that this challenge is met at Community
level, it would first be necessary for the training institutes to carefully analyse and, where
necessary, revise their teaching programmes. It is essential that teaching programmes meet
the overall requirements of the shipping industry (familiarity with international legislation –
particularly the provisions of the STCW Convention and the ISM Code – and with modern
technology) and that
they ensure a good knowledge of the English language. Equally
important
is closer alignment of the existing national MET systems, which could
encourage useful cross-fertilisation and result in an overall improvement in the Member
States’ MET systems. Some consideration should also be given to concentrating resources in
a smaller number of MET institutes so as to reduce costs (particularly to ensure the
availability of modern equipment, such as sophisticated simulators) and at the same time raise
the quality of European MET.

Any analysis of measures to ensure quality training and quality seafarers needs to include the
issue of training on board ship, which is becoming a crucial problem in the EU maritime
sector. A period of approved on-board service is an internationally recognised compulsory
element of seafarers’ training programmes. Places for on-board training on EU ships have
become less available in recent years, mainly because shipowners have tried to cut the costs

28

Over the seven-year period, able seafarers’ average monthly earnings fell by 53% for Germans, 51% for
Belgians, 43% for Danes, 49% for the Dutch, 26% for the Portuguese and 14% for the French.

15

relating to this type of training, both by offering fewer study places on board existing ships
and by ordering new ships with fewer places available for cadets. Shipowners must recognise
their direct responsibility in training EU seafarers and must be ready to shoulder the
administrative and financial burden of offering them on-board training opportunities. The
Commission would recommend, at this point, that shipowners also examine the possibility of
offering on-board training to a number of cadets simultaneously, so as to reduce the sense of
isolation the youngsters may feel during their first sailing experiences. Meanwhile, the public
authorities need to seek all possible solutions to ease the financial burden which on-board
training places on shipowners. The Community guidelines on State aid to maritime transport
offer some interesting options here, and the Commission will carefully examine whether the
forthcoming revision of the guidelines should include further measures related to on-board
training. Finally, Member States should consider the possibility of taking joint action in the
competent international bodies to ensure that it becomes an international requirement that
ships be built with an adequate number of places for on-board training.

The second challenge consists in providing seafarers with the knowledge they need to
increase their prospects of mobility. In this respect, the initial education must be followed by
continuous updating courses to enable seafarers to cope with the specialisation of ships and
adapt to new on-board equipment and legal requirements. Such courses would increase the
mobility of EU seafarers, both between different types of specialised ships and between the
deck and engine. While the first type of mobility is expressly addressed in the STCW
Convention and is normally available in the European MET institutes, more effort is required
to establish the criteria to be applied to dual-purpose mobility and for
its practical
implementation in MET institutes. Upgrading courses should also be provided to promote
the conversion of ratings to officers, and to upgrade officers. All the many opportunities
offered by long-distance training should be explored and implemented for the updating and
upgrading courses.

The third challenge is to adapt to the changing pattern of the profession, i.e. to provide
seafarers with the necessary tools to take up onshore occupations after a reasonable
number of years at sea. To this end, it is important that initial maritime education and the
abovementioned updating courses also include the commercial aspects of shipping (i.e.
maritime law, economics and management) in order to provide EU seafarers with better
insight into the industrial requirements and working methods of their future occupations
it would be useful for the MET institutes and the social partners to
ashore. In this respect,
work together to define common objectives and, in particular, career paths for seafarers. This
is even more important given the fact
the Member States’ national maritime
that
administrations will need more personnel to carry out the increasing number of tasks imposed
on them by the recently adopted or proposed Community legislation on maritime safety. An
increasing number of inspectors will be needed to carry out port State control activities and
tasks linked to the control of navigation. It is important, then, that seafarers be given adequate
training to take up these occupations, which – together with other occupations in the private
maritime industry – would appear to be a natural continuation of their on-board experience.

In addition to these three major challenges, consideration should be given to the following
measures, which could help tackle the shortage of EU seafarers. At the same time, they might
entail changes to the current system of maritime training. The first measure would be to try –
in full observance of existing international and Community law – to lower the entry
requirements for the different grades of certificates, such as those for admission to the
courses for unlimited certificates of competency. While the above mentioned alignment of the

16

existing national MET systems should improve the mutual recognition of certificates of
competency by the Member States, another measure would be to remove the remaining
obstacles to the employment of EU seafarers on board any EU-flagged ship. Finally, some
effort should be made to facilitate the entry to officers’ positions in the merchant navy for
i.e. officers on fishery vessels and former navy
persons who are already pre-qualified,
officers. Ad hoc training initiatives should be defined and implemented to this end.

3.3.2. Community initiatives

Community financial support for maritime training activities is certainly an appealing
possibility, but it should not be overestimated. Community funds can – and indeed should –
be used to support the maritime training plans produced by Member States and shipowners,
but they cannot provide all the financial support needed to implement an action such as
halting the decline in the number of EU seafarers.

The Commission has previously discounted the possibility of creating a specific Community
fund for maritime training, and it still believes this is not a realistic option. However, it
strongly recommends that the Member States and the social partners explore and make better
use of the opportunities offered by the existing Community instruments in the field of
financial support for training, the European Social and Structural Funds and, in particular, the
Socrates and Leonardo da Vinci programmes. Along the same lines, Member States should
explore and exploit the opportunities offered in the field of human resources by Equal, a new
Community initiative which will promote new means of combating all
forms of
discrimination and inequalities in connection with the labour market, through transnational
cooperation.

The Member States and social partners are invited to give the requisite priority to maritime
training, and to maritime initiatives on human resources, when planning their participation in
Community programmes.

3.4.

Support from the Research Programme

Notwithstanding the industry’s own responsibility for tackling the decline in the number of
EU seafarers, the Community can help it in its task by sponsoring a number of research
projects. Areas of research of particular relevance that could be conducted within the
forthcoming Sixth Framework Programme (activities in support of Community policies)
include:

• Profiling of suitable candidates so as to improve the selection of trainee seafarers and

potentially reduce the high drop-out rates.

• Motivational factors that encourage people to go to sea, remain at sea or take up on-shore

employment.

• Present and potential future job content and career paths, both at sea and on shore, as well

as the latest job design concepts.

• Possible improvements to living and working conditions on board,

including the
communication links between crew members and their families and friends now available
thanks to modern information technologies.

17

• Possible approximation of the existing national MET systems and possible concentration

of resources in a smaller number of MET institutes.

4.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The Commission has already started to address the problem of the shortfall in the number of
EU seafarers. It believes this action needs to be pursued and enhanced through joint action by
all the actors concerned, in order to remedy the current worrying situation. It is for this reason
that the Commission recommends that the priority actions listed below be addressed.

• Proper application of existing Community and international law on living and working
conditions and the quality of shipboard operations is a fundamental tool not only for
improving safety at sea and preventing pollution, but also for tackling the decline of the
seafarer professions. Member States are invited to ensure that such legislation is properly
applied; the Commission, for its part, will monitor this process and ensure transparency
through Equasis. The Commission also invites all Member States to consider how the
options for supporting the employment of EU seafarers offered by the guidelines on State
aid can be best applied at national level.

• Scheduled passenger ferry services within the European Union are labour-intensive, and
are served mainly by EU-flagged vessels crewed predominantly by EU nationals. EU
seafarers in this sector face increasing competition from cheaper non-EU labour. The
Commission proposed a solution to this problem in its Communication of 1998. While
discussions on the Commission’s proposals continue in the competent fora, different
solutions to the same problem might be found in parallel by the social partners by way of a
voluntary agreement.

• The Commission recommends that the Member States and the social partners organise
coordinated awareness campaigns at national and European level to re-launch the image of
the opportunities and
the shipping industry and give young people the facts about
implications of a maritime career. This, in turn, might help reduce the number of trainees
who abandon their studies before completion. Awareness campaigns might also provide a
good opportunity to promote and facilitate women’s access to the seafaring professions,
especially those professions they might find more attractive.

• A few simple arrangements, with the support of modern technologies, can significantly
improve the living and working conditions on board ship. The Commission recommends
that shipowners explore these possibilities, as well as the possibility of arranging more
convenient rotation times for seafarers between sea and shore. The Commission also
invites the social partners to take appropriate action to boost the social prestige and job
satisfaction of the seafaring professions. The most urgent measure would be for
shipowners to raise the salaries of EU officers.

• Preserving a high-quality system of maritime training in the EU is vital for the survival of
EU seafarers, the competitiveness of the European maritime industry and the enhancement
of safety and environmental protection. Public authorities, shipowners and maritime
academies must work together to ensure that the Member States’ maritime education and
training systems meet all the requirements of the regulatory framework, of modern
technology, and of the global shipping industry, including a good knowledge of the
English language. The Commission also recommends that Member States and social
partners implement urgent measures to ensure a sufficient number of study places for

18

cadets wishing to train on-board, provide EU seafarers with continuous updating and/or
upgrading courses, and increase the mobility of EU seafarers.

• Community instruments are available for the financial support of maritime training, as are
Community initiatives in the field of human resources. The Commission recommends that
the Member States and the social partners explore and take advantage of the opportunities
offered by these instruments. In particular, Member States are invited to give adequate
priority to maritime training, and to maritime initiatives in the field of human resources,
when planning their participation in Community programmes.

• The Community may support the industry’s effort to reverse the present shortfall of EU
seafarers by sponsoring a number of ad hoc research projects through the forthcoming
Sixth Framework Programme.

19

Community legislation adopted in the social field and applicable to ships

ANNEX I

General
social
provisions

Health
and safety
at work

Council Directive 75/34/EEC of 17 December 1974 concerning the right of
nationals of a Member State to remain in the territory of another Member
State after having pursued therein an activity in a self-employed capacity
(OJ L 014, 20/01/1975, p. 10)

Council Directive 76/207/EEC of 9 February 1976 on the implementation of
the principle of equal treatment for men and women as regards access to
employment, vocational training and promotion, and working conditions
(OJ L 039, 14/02/1976, p. 40)

Council Directive 86/613/EEC of 11 December 1986 on the application of
the principle of equal treatment between men and women engaged in an
activity,
in a self-employed capacity, and on the
protection of self-employed women during pregnancy and motherhood (OJ
L 359, 19/12/1986, p. 56)

including agriculture,

Council Directive 97/80/EC of 15 December 1997 on the burden of proof in
cases of discrimination based on sex (OJ L 014, 20/01/1998, p. 6)

Council Directive 76/579/Euratom of 1 June 1976 laying down the revised
basic safety standards for the health protection of the general public and
workers against the dangers of ionizing radiation (OJ L 187, 12/07/1976, p.
1)

Council Directive 78/610/EEC of 29 June 1978 on the approximation of the
laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States on the
protection of the health of workers exposed to vinyl chloride monomer (OJ
L 197, 22/07/1978, p. 12)

Council Directive 80/836/Euratom of 15 July 1980 amending the Directives
laying down the basic safety standards for the health protection of the
general public and workers against the dangers of ionizing radiation (OJ L
246, 17/09/1980, p. 1)

Council Directive 82/501/EEC of 24 June 1982 on the major-accident
hazards of certain industrial activities (OJ L 230, 05/08/1982, p. 1)

20

Health
and safety
at work

Council Directive 89/391/EEC of 12 June 1989 on the introduction of
measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health of workers at
work (OJ L 183, 29/06/1989, p. 1)

Council Directive 89/655/EEC of 30 November 1989 concerning the
minimum safety and health requirements for the use of work equipment by
workers at work (second individual Directive within the meaning of Article
16 (1) of Directive 89/391/EEC) (OJ L 393, 30/12/1989, p. 13)

Council Directive 89/656/EEC of 30 November 1989 on the minimum
health and safety requirements for the use by workers of personal protective
equipment at the workplace (third individual directive within the meaning of
Article 16 (1) of Directive 89/391/EEC) (OJ L 393, 30/12/1989, p. 18)

Council Directive 90/269/EEC of 29 May 1990 on the minimum health and
safety requirements for the manual handling of loads where there is a risk
particularly of back injury to workers (fourth individual Directive within the
meaning of Article 16 (1) of Directive 89/391/EEC) (OJ L 156, 21/06/1990,
p. 9)

Council Directive 90/394/EEC of 28 June 1990 on the protection of workers
from the risks related to exposure to carcinogens at work (Sixth individual
Directive within the meaning of Article 16 (1) of Directive 89/391/EEC)
(OJ L 196, 26/07/1990, p. 1)

Council Directive 90/679/EEC of 26 November 1990 on the protection of
workers from risks related to exposure to biological agents at work (seventh
individual Directive within the meaning of Article 16 (1) of Directive
89/391/EEC) (OJ L 374, 31/12/1990, p. 1)

Council Directive 90/641/Euratom of 4 December 1990 on the operational
protection of outside workers exposed to the risk of ionizing radiation
during their activities in controlled areas (OJ L 349, 13/12/1990, p. 21)

Council Directive 92/29/EEC of 31 March 1992 on the minimum safety and
health requirements for improved medical treatment on board vessels (OJ L
113, 30/04/1992, p. 19)

Council Directive 92/57/EEC of 24 June 1992 on the implementation of
temporary or mobile
minimum safety and health requirements at
construction sites (eighth individual Directive within the meaning of Article
16 (1) of Directive 89/391/EEC) (OJ L 245, 26/08/1992, p. 6)

Council Directive 92/58/EEC of 24 June 1992 on the minimum
requirements for the provision of safety and/or health signs at work (ninth
individual Directive within the meaning of Article 16 (1) of Directive
89/391/EEC) (OJ L 245, 26/08/1992, p. 23)

21

Health
and safety
at work

Working
conditions

Council Directive 92/85/EEC of 19 October 1992 on the introduction of
measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health at work of
pregnant workers and workers who have recently given birth or are
breastfeeding (tenth individual Directive within the meaning of Article 16
(1) of Directive 89/391/EEC) (OJ L 348, 28/11/1992, p. 1)

Council Directive 93/103/EC of 23 November 1993 concerning the
minimum safety and health requirements for work on board fishing vessels
(thirteenth individual Directive within the meaning of Article 16 (1) of
Directive 89/391/EEC) (OJ L 307, 13/12/1993, p. 1)

Council Directive 96/29/Euratom of 13 May 1996 laying down basic safety
standards for the protection of the health of workers and the general public
against the dangers arising from ionizing radiation (OJ L 159, 29/06/1996,
p. 1)

Council Directive 96/82/EC of 9 December 1996 on the control of major-
accident hazards involving dangerous substances (OJ L 010, 14/01/1997, p.
13)

Council Directive 98/24/EC of 7 April 1998 on the protection of the health
and safety of workers from the risks related to chemical agents at work
(fourteenth individual Directive within the meaning of Article 16(1) of
Directive 89/391/EEC) (OJ L 131, 05/05/1998, p. 11)

Council Directive 75/117/EEC of 10 February 1975 on the approximation of
the laws of the Member States relating to the application of the principle of
equal pay for men and women (OJ L 045, 19/02/1975, p. 19)

Council Directive 80/987/EEC of 20 October 1980 on the approximation of
the laws of the Member States relating to the protection of employees in the
event of the insolvency of their employer (OJ L 283, 28/10/1980, p. 23)

Council Directive 91/383/EEC of 25 June 1991 supplementing the measures
to encourage improvements in the safety and health at work of workers with
a fixed-duration employment relationship or a temporary employment
relationship (OJ L 206, 29/07/1991, p. 19)

Council Directive 91/533/EEC of 14 October 1991 on an employer's
obligation to inform employees of the conditions applicable to the contract
or employment relationship (OJ L 288, 18/10/1991, p. 32)

22

Working
conditions

Council Directive 94/33/EC of 22 June 1994 on the protection of young
people at work (OJ L 216, 20/08/1994, p. 12)

Council Directive 94/45/EC of 22 September 1994 on the establishment of
a procedure in Community-scale
a European Works Council or
undertakings and Community-scale groups of undertakings
the
purposes of informing and consulting employees (OJ L 254, 30/09/1994, p.
64)

for

Directive 96/71/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16
December 1996 concerning the posting of workers in the framework of the
provision of services (OJ L 018, 21/01/1997, p. 1)

Council Directive 96/34/EC of 3 June 1996 on the framework agreement
on parental leave concluded by UNICE, CEEP and the ETUC (OJ L 145,
19/06/1996, p. 4)

Council Directive 97/81/EC of 15 December 1997 concerning the
Framework Agreement on part-time work concluded by UNICE, CEEP
and the ETUC – Annex : Framework agreement on part-time work (OJ L
014, 20/01/1998, p. 9)

Council Directive 99/63/EC of 21 June 1999 concerning the Agreement on
the organisation of working time of seafarers concluded by the European
Community Shipowners' Association (ECSA) and the Federation of
Transport Workers' Unions in the European Union (FST)
- Annex:
European Agreement on the organisation of working time of seafarers (OJ
L 167, 02/07/1999, p. 33)

Council Directive 79/7/EEC of 19 December 1978 on the progressive
implementation of the principle of equal treatment for men and women in
matters of social security (OJ L 006, 10/01/1979, p. 24)

Principles
of social
security

Council Directive 86/378/EEC of 24 July 1986 on the implementation of
the principle of equal treatment for men and women in occupational social
security schemes (OJ L 225, 12/08/1986, p. 40)

Council Directive 89/105/EEC of 21 December 1988 relating to the
transparency of measures regulating the prices of medicinal products for
human use and their inclusion in the scope of national health insurance
systems (OJ L 040, 11/02/1989, p. 8)

23

Application
to migrant
workers

Council Directive 64/221/EEC of 25 February 1964 on the co-ordination
of special measures concerning the movement and residence of foreign
nationals which are justified on grounds of public policy, public security or
public health (OJ 056, 04/04/1964, p. 850)

Council Directive 98/49/EC of 29 June 1998 on safeguarding the
supplementary pension rights of employed and self-employed persons
moving within the Community (OJ L 209, 25/07/1998, p. 46)

Regulation (EEC) No 1408/71 of the Council of 14 June 1971 on the
application of social security schemes to employed persons and their
families moving within the Community (OJ L 149, 05/07/1971, p. 2)

24

ANNEX II

ILO Maritime Labour Conventions and Recommendations

General

National Seamen’s Codes, 1920

Recommendation 9
Recommendation 107 Seafarers’ Engagement (Foreign Vessels), 1958
Recommendation 108 Social Conditions and Safety (Seafarers), 1958
Recommendation 139 Employment of seafarers (Technical Developments), 1970
Convention 145
Continuity of Employment (Seafarers), 1976
Recommendation 154 Continuity of Employment (Seafarers), 1976
Convention 147
Protocol (*)

Merchant Shipping (Minimum Standards), 1976
Protocol of 1996 to the Merchant Shipping (Minimum
Standards) Convention

Recommendation 155 Merchant Shipping (Improvement of Standards), 1976

Training and entry into employment
Placing of Seamen, 1920
Convention 9
Convention 179
Recruitment and Placing of Seafarers, 1996
Recommendation 186 Recruitment and Placing of Seafarers, 1996
Convention 22
Convention 108
Recommendation 137 Vocational Training (Seafarers), 1970

Seamen’s Articles of Agreement, 1926
Seafarers’ Identity Documents, 1958

Convention 7
Convention 58
Convention 16
Convention 73

Convention 53
Convention 69
Convention 74

Conditions for admission to employment

Minimum age (Sea), 1920
Minimum age (Sea) (Revised), 1936
Medical Examination of Young Persons (Sea), 1921
Medical Examination (Seafarers), 1946
Certificates of competency
Officers’ Competency Certificates, 1936
Certification of Ships’ Cooks Convention, 1946
Certification of Able Seamen, 1946

General Conditions of employment

Convention 180 (*)
Recommendation 187 Seafarers’ Wages, Hours of Work and the Manning of Ships,

Seafarers’ Hours of Work and the Manning of Ships, 1996

1996
Paid Vacations (Seafarers) (Revised), 1949
Seafarers’ Annual Leave with Pay, 1976
Repatriation of Seamen, 1926
Repatriation (Ship Masters and Apprentices), 1926
Repatriation of Seafarers (Revised), 1987

Convention 91
Convention 146
Convention 23
Recommendation 27
Convention 166
Recommendation 174 Repatriation of Seafarers, 1987
Recommendation 153 Protection of Young Seafarers, 1976

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Convention 68
Recommendation 78

Safety, health and welfare
Food and Catering (Ships’ Crews), 1946
Bedding, Mess Utensils and Miscellaneous Provisions (Ships’
Crews), 1946
Accommodation of Crews (Revised), 1949
Accommodation of Crews (Supplementary Provisions), 1970

Convention 92
Convention 133
Recommendation 140 Crew Accommodation (Air Conditioning), 1970
Recommendation 141 Crew Accommodation (Noise Control), 1970
Convention 134
Prevention of Accidents (Seafarers), 1970
Recommendation 142 Prevention of Accidents (Seafarers), 1970
Recommendation 48
Recommendation 138 Seamen’s Welfare, 1970
Convention 163
Seamen’s Welfare, 1987
Recommendation 173 Seamen’s Welfare, 1987
Convention 164
Recommendation 105 Ships’ Medicine Chests, 1958
Recommendation 106 Medical Advise at Sea, 1958
Labour inspection

Seamen’s Welfare in Ports, 1936

Health Protection and Medical Care (Seafarers), 1987

Convention 178
Labour Inspection (Seafarers), 1996
Recommendation 185 Labour Inspection (Seafarers), 1996

Social Security

Convention 8
Recommendation 10
Convention 55
Convention 56
Convention 165
Convention 71

Unemployment Indemnity (Shipwreck), 1920
Unemployment Insurance (Seamen), 1920
Shipowners’ Liability (Sick and Injured Seamen), 1936
Sickness Insurance (Sea), 1936
Social Security (Seafarers) (Revised), 1987
Seafarers’ Pensions, 1946

International labour standards applying to all workers including seafarers

Convention 87

Convention 98
Convention 130
Convention 138

Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organize,
1948
Right to Organize and Collective Bargaining, 1949
Medical Care and Sickness Benefits, 1969
Minimum Age, 1973

(*) Convention or Protocol not in force

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