Directive 2009/16/EC of the European Parliament and of the CouncilShow full title

ANNEX VIII

PROVISIONS CONCERNING REFUSAL OF ACCESS TO PORTS AND ANCHORAGES WITHIN THE COMMUNITY (referred to in Article 16)

1. If the conditions described in Article 16(1) are met, the competent authority of the port in which the ship is detained for the third time shall inform the master of the ship in writing that a refusal of access order will be issued which will become applicable immediately after the ship has left the port. The refusal of access order shall become applicable immediately after the ship has left the port after the deficiencies leading to the detention have been remedied.

2. The competent authority shall send a copy of the refusal of access order to the flag State administration, the recognised organisation concerned, the other Member States, and the other signatories to the Paris MOU, the Commission and the Paris MOU Secretariat. The competent authority shall also update the inspection database with information on the refusal of access without delay.

3. In order to have the refusal of access order lifted, the owner or the operator must address a formal request to the competent authority of the Member State that imposed the refusal of access order. This request must be accompanied by a document from the flag State administration issued following an on-board visit by a surveyor duly authorised by the flag State administration, showing that the ship fully conforms to the applicable provisions of the Conventions. The flag State administration shall provide evidence to the competent authority that a visit on board has taken place.

4. The request for the lifting of the refusal of access order must also be accompanied, where appropriate, by a document from the classification society which has the ship in class following an on-board visit by a surveyor from the classification society, showing that the ship conforms to the class standards stipulated by that society. The classification society shall provide evidence to the competent authority that a visit on board has taken place.

5. The refusal of access order may be lifted only after the period referred to Article 16 of this Directive has elapsed and following a re-inspection of the ship at an agreed port.

If the agreed port is located in a Member State, the competent authority of that State may, at the request of the competent authority which issued the refusal of access order, authorise the ship to enter the agreed port in order to carry out the re-inspection. In such cases, no cargo operations shall take place at the port until the refusal of access order has been lifted.

6. If the detention which led to the issue of a refusal of access order included deficiencies in the ship’s structure, the competent authority which issued the refusal of access order may require that certain spaces, including cargo spaces and tanks, are made available for examination during the re-inspection.

7. The re-inspection shall be carried out by the competent authority of the Member State that imposed the refusal of access order, or by the competent authority of the port of destination with the agreement of the competent authority of the Member State that imposed the refusal of access order. The competent authority may require up to 14 days’ notice for the re-inspection. Evidence shall be provided to the satisfaction of this Member State that the ship fully complies with the applicable requirements of the Conventions.

8. The re-inspection shall consist of an expanded inspection that must cover at least the relevant items of Annex VII.

9. All costs of this expanded inspection will be borne by the owner or the operator.

10. If the results of the expanded inspection satisfy the Member State in accordance with Annex VII, the refusal of access order must be lifted and the company of the ship informed thereof in writing.

11. The competent authority shall also notify its decision in writing to the flag State administration, the classification society concerned, the other Member States, the other signatories to the Paris MOU, the Commission and the Paris MOU Secretariat. The competent authority must also update the inspection database with information on the removal of the access without delay.

12. Information relating to ships that have been refused access to ports within the Community must be made available in the inspection database and published in conformity with the provisions of Article 26 and of Annex XIII.