CELEX: 51988PC0171
Language: en
Date: 1988-04-06
Title: Proposal for a COUNCIL DIRECTIVE on the reciprocal recognition of national boatmasters' certificates for the carriage of goods by inland navigation (submitted by the Commission)

ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
DE LA COMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (88) 171
Vol. 1988/0051
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 ---pagebreak--- COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                        COM(88 ) 171 final
                                        Brussels , 6 April 1988
                             Proposai for a
                            COUNCIL DIRECTIVE
  on the reciprocal récognition of national boatmasters' certificates
            for the carriage of goods by inland navigation
                                                  ./
                     ( submitted by the Commission )
 ---pagebreak---                     FICHE     DE  COMMUNICATION
        COMMUNICATION      DE    LA  COMMISSION     AU CONSEIL
" Proposition de directive sur la reconnaissance réciproque des
  certificats    nationaux       de  conduite de bâtiments pour      Le trans ¬
  port de marchandises par navigation intérieure ".
1 . PERSONNES    OU  GROUPES      DE  PERSONNES     CONCERNEES
    .  les  bateliers
    .  les  administrations         nationales     des Etats membres  à cause
       des   réformes   administratives         nécessaires
2.  PREPARATION     DE  LA PROPOSITION
    a ) Caractère _ novateur
        La reconnaissance réciproque des certificats de conduite
        des bateaux de navigation intérieure est importante pour
        la réalisation de la libre prestation des transports dans
        la Communauté (à l' horizon de 1992 ) par L' élimination des
        entraves qui      restreignent l' exercice de ce type de pres ¬
        tations .
        Le présent projet de directive vise la reconnaissance ré ¬
        ciproque des certificats de conduite actuellement exis ¬
        tants , alors que la mise au point d' un certificat de con ¬
        duite communautaire fera l' objet d' une directive future .
    b ) Çonsu^tat2ons_effeçtuées_gar_^es_ser\/ i^çes_de_^a^Çommi^ss22D
        . DGV                         raccord
         . Task Force ( PME )          : a ccord .
         . Service Juridique          : accord
         . Comité Paritaire           : avis favorable quant au principe
    c ) Actions d ' i nf o rma t i on_suggé rées
        Communiqué de presse
 ---pagebreak---                              Draft Directive
                                  on the
           reciprocal recognition of national boatmasters 1
             certificates for the carriage of
                       goods by inland navigation
                         Explanatory memorandum
 A  General points
 1.   One of the objectives of the common transport policy is to contribute
      effectively towards a reduction of barriers which could restrict
      transport in the Community .      For this purpose reciprocal-  recognition
      of national boatmasters' certificates is important .
 2.   Inland navigation in the Community is mainly governed by régulations
      on the technical prescriptions for the vessels and the capabilities
      of the boatmasters . The Central Rhine Commission in Strasbourg
      has established a certificate of navigability for inland waterway vessels
      and a Rhine navigation licence for boatmasters .      Both
     documents are required for sailing on the Rhine and are
      recognized for almost all other inland waterways of the Community
     with the exception of some maritime areas and some river
     sections in Germany .
 3.  However a substantial number of vessels and boatmasters ply on
     other waterways and never navigate or cross the Rhine .       They
     therefore do not have these generally accepted Rhine documents .
4.   To deal with technical requirements where the Rhine certificate does
     not apply , the Council adopted a directive on the reciprocal
     récognition of national navigability licences in 1976 ( 76 / 135 / EEC ) *and ,
     in a second stage , a directive laying down technical requirements
    for a Community certificate ( 82 /714 /EEC ) . **
O.J. L. 21     1976 *
O.J. L. 301    1982 **
 ---pagebreak---                                      2
 5.   For the boatmasters ' certificates similar Community action is now
     needed , since boatmasters who do not possess the Rhine navigation
      licence are prevented from sailing in other Member States where
      their national boatmasters' certificates are not recognized .
6.    As the Member States mainly involvsd hâve boa t master s ' certificates
      for different types of vessels or different areas it will take
     time to establish an acceptable framework of Community certificates .
      For this reason a two-step approach , similar to that for technical
     prescriptions , is also appropriate for boatmasters' certificates .
     Accordingly the présent draft Directive régulâtes the reciprocal
     récognition of existing boatmasters' certificates , whilst a future
      Directive should establish a Community boatmasters' certificate .
7.   An additional problem is caused by the fact that Belgium , a Member
     State with considerable interest in inland navigation , has not yet
     established a national boatmasters' certificate , which could be
     mutually recognised by the other States concerned .       The proposed
     test would allow a future Belgian boatmasters' certificate to be
      included in Annex I by virtue of a simple amendment .
B.  Spécial points
Article 1
The existing certificatesan be divided into general Cgroup B ) ones and
spécial ( group A ) certificates which apply for maritime zones .     The
requirements for the latter involve additional knowledge of navigation
in open waters etc. .    Article 1 refers to Annex 1 which could in future
be extended whenever Belgium or another Member State issues a certificate
équivalent to those listed .
Article 2
It is made clear that this Directive does not change the validity of the
Rhine navigation licence .
Article 3
Paragraph 1 and 2
The formai reciprocal récognition of the existing certificateswithin the
two groups is regulated .
Paragraph 3
A provision is made to prevent the récognition of certificates which are
no longer valid in the country of delivery .
 ---pagebreak---                                     3
Paragraph 4
This provision is made as compromise between the differing requirements
of Member States as regards minimum âge and practical expérience .
Putting the minimum age at the maximum ( German ) Level is expected to
guarantee sufficient practical experience after schooling .      It would in
fact be very difficult to draw up a foolproof rule for experience without
introducing a great deal of paperwork which local authorities would
find it difficult to control .
Paragraph 5
The French " Certificat General Categorie A " can be obtained by meeting
requirements lower than those required for the other Group B certificates
In practice this certificate is used for vessels of limited length .
Paragraph 6
On sections of the German rivers :    Elbe , Weser and Donau and on the French
Seine between Rouen and Le Havre special local knowledge requirements have
to be met or a pilot has to be used .       It is not possible to include
these requirements in a general reciprocal recognition .      A second reason
for this paragraph is to allow Member States , which have no national
boatmasters' certificate listed in Annex I , the possibility to require
special skills from boatmasters with one of the listed certificates of
group B in Annex I.    However such requirements should be equivalent to
those required of local boatmasters and additional to general requirements
on navigation which have already been proven by obtaining one of the
certificates listed in Group B.
 ---pagebreak---                                 COUNCIL DIRECTIVE
           on the reciprocal recognition of national boatmasters'
                    certificates for the carriage of goods
                               by inland waterway
 THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
 Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community ,
 and in particular Article 75 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 it is appropriate to work for the establishment of a uniform boatmaster 's
certificates for inland waterways in the Community ;
Whereas , pending establishment of such a certificate , it is appropriate , as
a first step , with a view to promoting free navigation on inland water¬
ways in the Community ,      to achieve the reciprocal recognition of national
boatmasters' certificates for the carriage of goods by inland waterway ;
 Whereas additional requirements relating to knowledge of local situations
may have to be satisfied for the purposes of navigation on certain
inland waterways ,
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE :
 ---pagebreak---                                      -2-
 ArticLe 1
 For the purposes of this Directive , the general boatmasters' certificates
 for the carriage of goods by inland waterway , as referred to in Annex I ,
 shall be subdivided as follows :
Group A :   boatmasters' certificates    valid   for waterways of a maritime
            character as indicated in Annex II ,
Group B :   boatmasters' certificates valid for the other waterways in
            the Community , with the e ception of the Rhine , including the
            Lek and the Waal .
  Article 2
Subject to the provisions of Article 3(6 ), the Rhine navigation licence
for boatmasters issued in accordance with the revised convention for the
Navigation of the Rhine shall be valid for all waterways in the Community ,
with the exception of waterways of a maritime character in the Federal
Republic of Germany as indicated in Annex II .
Article   3
1.         Without prejudice to the provisions of paragraphs 3 and 4 , each
Member State shall recognise the validity of boatmasters' certificates
issued by another Member State for the purposes of navigation on water ¬
ways of a maritime character as listed in Group A in Annex I as if it
had issued the certificates in question itself .
2.         without prejudice to the provisions of paragraphs 3 to 6 , each
Member State shall recognise , with regard to navigation on inland
waterways where the Rhine navigation licence is not required and which
are not listed in Annex II , the validity of boatmasters' certificates
relating to Group B in Annex I issued by another Member State as if it
had issued the certificates in question itself .
3.         Paragraphs 1 and 2 shall apply only to the extent to which the
boatmasters' certificate is still valid in the Member State of issue .
4.         Paragraphs 1 and 2 shall apply where the holder
of the boatmasters' certificate is at least 21 years old .
 ---pagebreak---                                        - 3 -
 5.      Récognition by other Member States of the French " Certificat
Général Catégorie A " as indicated in the List in Group B shall be
confined to vessels whose length does not exceed 60 métrés .
6.       Subject to consultation of the Commission and the other Member
States , a Member State may require that , for the purposes of navigation
on certain waterways other than the waterways of a maritime character as
indicated in Annex II , boatmasters from other Member States satisfy
additional conditions concerning knowledge of the local situation
équivalent to those required for its national boatmasters .
Article A
As soon as possible , the Council , acting on a proposal from the Commission ,
shall adopt common provisions concerning the establishment of a Community
boatmaster 's certificate for the carriage of goods by inland waterway .
Article 5
Member States shall adopt in good time and no later than 1 July 1988 , the laws ,
régulations and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this
Directive . They shall forthwith inform the Commission thereof .
Article 6
This Directive is addressed to the Member States .
                                    Done at Brussels ,
                                   For the Council
                                    The President
 ---pagebreak---                                             ANNEX I
                     List of national boatmasters' certifiâtes
                   for the carriage of goods by inland waterway
                              ( Article 1 of the Directive )
iroup A.
      Fédéral Republic of Germany
            " Schi f f erpatent " with additional validity for the
           " Seeschi ffahrtstrassen "
            ( Binnenschi f ferpatentverordnung 7.12.81 )
     Kingdom of the Netherlands
           " Groot Vaarbewijs II "         ( Binnenschepenwet , Staatsblad 1981 , nr.678 )
roup B.
     Fédéral Republic of Germany
           " Schi f ferpatent " ( Binnenschi f ferpatentverordnung 7.12.81 )
     French Republic
           " Certificat Général de          Capacité Catégorie A "
           ( Arrêté du 3.6.85 Journal Officiel du 28.6.85 )
        -  " Certificat spécial de Capacité Catégorie CP "
           ( Arrêté du 3.6.85 Journal Officiel du 28.6.85 )
     Kingdom of the Netherlands
           " Groot Vaarbewijs I "       ( Binnenschepenwet , Staatsblad 1981 , nr. 678 )
 ---pagebreak---                                   ANNEXE II
                                         (
                List of waterways of a maritime character
                       ( Article 2 of the Directive )
Fédéral Republic of Germany
                                             l
zone 1 and zone 2 of Annex I of the Directive 82 / 714 / EEC
Kingdom of the Netherlands
Dollard , Eems , Waddensea , Ijsselmeer , Eastern and Western Scheldt .
 ---pagebreak---           COMPETITIVENESS AND EMPLOYMENT IMPACT STATEMENT
  I . What is the main reason for introducing the measure ?
      The existing navigation licences are issued by national
      authorities and the Central Rhine Commission .
      Several Member States of the European Community have
      different categories of vessels and for different areas in
      order to issue a boatmasters' certificate .
      This situation represents a serious obstacle for the
      realization of an integrated transport market in Europe .
      That is why the reciprocal recognition of national
      boatmasters' certificates for inland navigation - which is
      a subject of major importance to facilitate the free
      movement for the carriage of goods within the Community -
      represents a first step towards a European boatmasters'
      certificate .
 II . Features of the business in question
      The proposal concerns boatmasters  who should be able to
      exercise their profession also in specific areas of other
      Member States once they had obtained the necessary
      qualifications in their own country .
      This will have a positive effect on the costs of the
      businesses in question .
III . What obligations does this measure improve directly on
      businesses ?
      There will be no extra obligations imposed on businesses
      involved .
 IV . What indirect obligations are national , régional or local
      authorities likely to impose on business ?
      Implémentation of the Directive .
  V. Are there any spécial provisions in respect of SME' s ?
      None .
 ---pagebreak---                                   - 2 -
 VI . What is the likely effect on :
      a ) The competitiveness of_business
          This will be improved for boatmasters operating in
          other Member States .
      b ) EmjDloymerit
          None .
VII . Hâve the relevant représentative organisations been
      consulted ?
      Yes , the Joint Committee on Inland Navigation was
      consulted .
      Opinion
      The Joint Committee expressed a favourable opinion
      concerning the substance of this draft directive ( draft
      opinion of 27 . 5 . 1937 ).