CELEX: 51978PC0319
Language: en
Date: 1978-07-10
Title: PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DECISION on the memorandum of understanding of 2 March 1978 between certain maritime authorities on the maintenance of standards on merchant ships (submitted to the Council by the Commission)

ARCHIVES HISTORIQUES
DE LA COMMISSION
COLLECTION RELIEE DES
DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM (78) 319
Vol. 1978/0119
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 ---pagebreak---   COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
                                                           COM(78)319 final.
                                                         Brussels , 10 July 1978 .
                      PROPOSAL FOR A COUNCIL DECISION
        on the memorandum of understanding of 2 March 1978 between
        certain maritime authorities on the maintenance of standards
                           on merchant ships
                ( submitted to the Council "by the Commission )
                                  V -\    •
                                               . - .V
COM(78 ) 319 final .
 ---pagebreak--- Proponal for a Council Decision on the Memorandum of Understardir-g of
g March 1978 between certain maritime authorities on the maintenance o f
wt findards on merchant ships
                              Explanatory Memorandum
        ' Within the framework of the improvement of safety at sea and of the
prevention and fight against maritime pollution , the European Council of
7-8 April 1978 invited the Council , on the proposal of the Commission , to
adopt without delay , within the Community , appropriate measures for the rapid
application of existing international rules , particularly on minimum standards
relating to the conditions of operation of ships .
          In its Communication to "the Council of 28 April 1978 on marine '
pollution arising from the carriage of oil ("Amoco Cndiz**) (doc . COM(78 ) 184
final ), the Commission expressed the intention of forwarding to the Council a .
propooal for adopting at Community level the agreement concluded in The Hague .
on 2 March 1978 between the maritime iiuthorities of eight North . Sea countries
( six Member States and two third countries ) on the maintenance of standards on
merchant ships .   This agreement provides for uniform and concerted enforcement
procedures in the ports of the countries concerned , applicable to all ships        •
of whatever flag, and also exchanges of information between maritime authorities , ,
designed to ensure , by appropriate action in case of any shortcomings , that on
ships visiting these ports no circumstance, is present which is clearly dangerous
for the safety of the ship or the health of the crew *
          In this draft Council, Decision the Commission proposes 'that Member States
not already participating in this agreement take the necessary steps to ensure
that thoir maritime authorities requeut to participate in it .    Such an extension
of the agreement would have the effect that in the Community as a whole , the
shipping and .port authorities of both present and future Member States could
exercise more uniform and concerted , jyid thus more effective , surveillance of
substandard ships using Community waters and ports .
           This proposed Directive only constitutes one stage in achieving the aims
of preventing accidents and pollution and working against substandard ships by
a firmer and more effective enforcement, of international standards * In this connec­
tion, the Commission intends to present to the Council before 1 October 1978 propooal
on an appropriate legal basis , aimed at harmonising , at Community level , national
legislation on the control of ships in Community ports.
 ---pagebreak---                         Finally , the Commission would mention that it is
requesting , by letter to the Dutch Government for the attention of the
permanent secretariat referred to in Section 9 °f the Memorandum of
Understanding , to participate in the work of the authorities party to
the agreement *
 ---pagebreak---                                              Proposal for a
                   comic TL DECISION ON THE' WKORAN HW OF TODKRSTANDING OP 2 MARCH 1978
          ELTV/IJIf CERTAIN MARITIME AUTHORITIES Off THE MAINTENANCE OF STANDARDS OK
         MERCHANT SHIPS
         The Council of the European Communities ,
         Having regard to the Tre&ty establishing the European Eoonomio Community,
         and in particular Article 84(2 ) thereof,
     ■   Having regard to the proposal from the Commission *
        Having rogard to the opinion of the European Parliament ,
   r    Having regard to the pinion of the Eoonomio and Social Committee ,
  Whereas the European Council of 7 and 8 April 1978 declared that the prevention of
  and fight against marine pollution, particularly by oil , must be made "a major objective
  of Community action, and -invited the Council , actine on proposals from the Commission,
 and the Member States to take appropriate action within the Community without delay
 and to adopt within the competent international organisations common oositions on the '
 rapid application of existing international rules in this field, particularly uo regardo
       mum standards for th operating conditions of ships j
 Kherea. .                  of . understand^, was adopted on 2 March 1978 between the .ariti.e
 «rthorlti.. of .1^4 Sorth Sea countr:ss                    Den.ark, FY-mce, the Ketherlande.
        f            P"'"1C." (:e™an),* ,h°                  Borvay and Sweden); whereas this
 ,M lS;.T!r °9r""'n' d'S'9"ed *° "M– "" following main .1„, to coordinate
               enhef
                     rrr     . lj
                                       --
 reoardlna substandard SMos us)no lhefr Dorts; lo
    aaralnn                            •   ...
                                                    ♦- – - - -                            w u
                                                                                          1     * • c 1 1 c. .
 oermlt remedl
 that on S HI DS
        i;™- ::                                       ,he,r ^ wa,irs ,her< ,s                     –
TZZ wThtlt!f
M A UKAU        ., MI  v                                             H
                                                                     •           «. w Community
                                                                                 «- w WIIC  ut'iiimunu
exercise mire unifZ                                                             th« *–«* *
HAS AOOPTE& THIS DECISION :
 ---pagebreak---           fcembor States tshall take all neccopary steps to ensure that thoir maritime
 ouihopitloo, to th. extent th,t they Co not already participate, „,ke
 participate      the .enorandu. of understanding signed in The Ha9ue on 2 March 19711 .
 on the maintenance of standards on merchant ships .
2. Those applications to participate shall be made by               1978.
3. Tfce maritime authorities shall infona the permit secretariat referred to in
Section  ? oS the BesBomndua that their application is being made in accordance with this
Decision .
                                       Article 2
             Member States whose maritime authorities already participate in the meno-
        rand*, of understand,™, sha» use their oocd offices to            thf acceptance by
        non-Member States participating M the agreement of the . applications to participate
        referred to in Article 1 .
                                       Article 3
        The I'ember States Bhall give theit full support to the memorandum of understanding
        and in particula , shall require their maritime authorities to make full use of all
        the possibilities which it offers, so as to ensure ,• for ships
        using Community ports , the most effective control which is possible within the
        framework of the agreement .
       This Decision is addressed to the Member States.                        *
                                                 For the* Council .