Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2006/…/EC laying down technical requirements for inland waterway vessels COM(2006) 646 final — 2006/0210 (COD)
Date: 2006-12-13
Institutions: European Economic and Social Committee
Subjects: inland waterway shipping, maritime safety, technical regulations, vessel

C 325/82

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

30.12.2006

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee on the Proposal for a Directive of the
European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2006/…/EC laying down technical
requirements for inland waterway vessels

COM(2006) 646 final — 2006/0210 (COD)

(2006/C 325/20)

On 16 November 2006 the Council decided to consult the European Economic and Social Committee,
under Article 95 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the abovementioned proposal.

On 25 October 2006 the Committee Bureau instructed the Section for Transport, Energy, Infrastructure and
the Information Society to prepare the Committee's work on the subject.

Given the urgent nature of the work, the Committee appointed Mr Rusche as rapporteur-general at its 431st
plenary session, held on 13 and 14 December 2006 (meeting of 13 December), and adopted the following
opinion unanimously

1. Conclusions and recommendations

1.1
As it has already made clear in the past, the European
Economic and Social Committee attaches great importance to
harmonising technical requirements for inland waterway vessels.

1.2
As it noted in its opinion on Directive 2006/…/EC on
technical requirements for inland waterway vessels, which is to
be amended, the Rhine is the busiest waterway in the world.
The conditions and technical requirements for this waterway are
regularly updated by the Central Commission for Navigation on
the Rhine (CCNR) in accordance with Article 22 of the Revised
Convention for Rhine Navigation. The CCNR involves represen-
tatives of civil society, i.e. ship owners, trade unions, shipyards
and suppliers, in the process of developing the relevant require-
ments by seeking the views of international non-governmental
organisations.

1.3
To avoid distortions of competition and to ensure the
required safety standard, the requirements developed in this way
should as a matter of principle be incorporated into the provi-
sions of Directive 2006/…/EC on technical requirements for
inland waterway vessels.

1.4
If this is to happen soon, it is necessary, as the Commis-
sion is proposing, to adopt the amendments to Directive 2006/
…/EC on technical requirements for inland waterway vessels.

the

In addition,

European Economic

1.5
Social
Committee recommends that the committee established by the
amendment of Directive 2006/…/EC grant the CCNR observer
status so as to ensure coherent further development of the tech-
nical requirements.

and

in particular that of the CCNR, can be taken into
nisations,
account more quickly and more easily when adapting the tech-
nical requirements for inland waterway vessels.

To facilitate this, it is proposed that procedural articles of
2.2
the directive and of Annex II thereof be amended to allow for
flexible adaptation of EU law to the requirements for obtaining
an inland navigation certificate under Article 22 of the Revised
Convention for Rhine Navigation.

3. General comments

3.1
The European Parliament has on several occasions made
clear the importance it attaches to close cooperation between all
international organisations
inland waterway
navigation. This is especially true of cooperation between the
EU and the CCNR.

responsible for

3.2
The Member States and the Commission believe that
cooperation between the EU and the CCNR should be as effec-
tive and close as possible. Giving the CCNR observer status in
the EU committee would be conducive to this aim. The
committee can decide for itself on an appropriate way to
involve the CCNR in its work.

The recitals of the proposal for a directive and Article 20
3.3
requirements for
(1) of Directive 2006/…/EC on technical
inland waterway vessels emphasise the important role of the
CCNR and the need to harmonise EU and CCNR rules.

2. The Commission proposal

2.1
The proposed directive is designed to ensure that, by way
of a comitology procedure, the work of other international orga-

3.4
In view of this, granting the CCNR observer status in the
committee is advisable. It is worth noting that the European
Commission already has observer status at the CCNR and may,
if it wishes, take part in the CCNR's technical committees.

Brussels, 13 December 2006.

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Dimitris DIMITRIADIS