Commission Directive 2011/15/EU of 23 February 2011 amending Directive 2002/59/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a Community vessel traffic monitoring and information system  Text with EEA relevance

24.2.2011 EN Official Journal of the European Union L 49/33
COMMISSION DIRECTIVE 2011/15/EU
of 23 February 2011
amending Directive 2002/59/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a Community vessel traffic monitoring and information system
(Text with EEA relevance)
THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION
,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Directive 2002/59/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 June 2002 establishing a Community vessel traffic monitoring and information system and repealing Council Directive 93/75/EEC (1), and in particular Article 27 thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Resolution MSC.150(77) of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has been revoked and replaced by IMO Resolution MSC.286(86) with effect from 1 July 2009. Therefore Article 12 of Directive 2002/59/EC referring to the revoked IMO Resolution should also be updated accordingly.
(2) The carriage requirements concerning the automatic identification Systems (AIS) and voyage data recorders (VDR) should be updated in line with the modifications to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) and should take account of the development of simplified VDRs, as approved by the IMO. The scope of exemptions of carriage requirements for small passenger vessels on short distances should also be made more precise and adapted to such voyages.
(3) Following an incident at sea, the powers of intervention of Member States should be made more explicit. In particular, it should be clearly stated that they may give instructions to the assistance, salvage or towage companies in order to prevent a serious and imminent threat to its coastline or related interests, to the safety of other ships and their crews and passengers or of persons on shore or to protect the marine environment.
(4) The measures provided for in this Directive are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee on Safe Seas and the Prevention of Pollution from Ships,