PURPOSE: to recast the legislation on the minimum level of training for seafarers (adaptation to the new regulatory procedure with scrutiny).

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Directive 2008/106/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the minimum level of training for seafarers (recast).

CONTENT: having reached agreement with the Parliament at first reading, the Directive recasts and adapts the legislation in force (Directive 2001/25/EC) to the new regulatory procedure with scrutiny (comitology), introduced by Decision 2006/512/EC and intended for use with measures of general scope designed to amend non-essential elements of a basic instrument adopted in accordance with the co-decision procedure. All the modifications are of a technical nature and aim to make Community law more readable.

The aim of the Directive is to define a minimum level of training for seafarers in the Community. That level should be based on the standards of training already agreed at international level, namely the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978 (STCW Convention), as revised in 1995. All Member States are Parties to that Convention.

The text stresses that Member States should take and enforce specific measures to prevent and penalise fraudulent practices associated with certificates of competency as well as pursue their efforts within the IMO to achieve strict and enforceable agreements on the worldwide combating of such practices. Moreover, the European Maritime Safety Agency should assist the Commission in verifying that Member States comply with the requirements laid down in this Directive.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 23/12/2008.

The European Parliament adopted by 625 votes to 50 with 10 abstentions, a legislative resolution amending the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the minimum level of training of seafarers (recast).

The report had been tabled for consideration in plenary by Rodi KRATSA-TSAGAROPOULOU (EPP-ED, EL) on behalf of the Committee on Transport and Tourism.

The amendments - adopted under 1 st reading of the codecision procedure – were the result of a compromise between Parliament and Council. The Commission proposal was approved as adapted to the recommendations of the Consultative Working Party of the Legal Services of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission.

Parliament also stated that Member States should take and enforce specific measures to prevent and penalise fraudulent practices associated with certificates of competency as well as pursue their efforts within the IMO to achieve strict and enforceable agreements on the worldwide combating of such practices.

Lastly, the European Maritime Safety Agency should assist the Commission in verifying that Member States comply with the requirements laid down in this Directive.

The Committee on Transport and Tourism adopted the report by Rodi KRATSA-TSAGAROPOULOU (EPP-ED, EL) amending, under 1 st reading of the codecision procedure, the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the minimum level of training of seafarers (recast).

An amendment stipulates that Member States should take and enforce specific measures to prevent and penalise fraudulent practices associated with certificates of competency as well as pursue their efforts within the IMO to achieve strict and enforceable agreements on the worldwide combating of such practices. A further amendment clarifies that the European Maritime Safety Agency should assist the Commission in verifying that Member States comply with the requirements laid down in this Directive.

A number of ‘technical’ amendments are also proposed to take into account the points contained in the note of the Consultative Working Party of the legal services of Parliament, the Council and the Commission and in the letter/opinion of the Committee on Legal Affairs.

PURPOSE: to recast a Directive on the minimum level of training for seafarers.

PROPOSED ACT: Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council

CONTENT: The codification of Directive 2001/25/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 4 April 2001 on the minimum level of training of seafarers has been initiated by the Commission. The new Directive was to have superseded the various acts incorporated in it.

In the meantime, Council Decision 1999/468/EC (comitology) was amended by Decision 2006/512/EC, which introduced a regulatory procedure with scrutiny. It is therefore appropriate to transform the codification of Directive 2001/25/EC into a recast in order to incorporate the amendments necessary for the adjustment to the regulatory procedure with scrutiny.