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

MINIMUM CRITERIA FOR INSPECTORS (referred to in Article 22(1) and (5))

1. Inspectors must have appropriate theoretical knowledge and practical experience of ships and their operation. They must be competent in the enforcement of the requirements of Conventions and of the relevant port State control procedures. This knowledge and competence in enforcing international and Community requirements must be acquired through documented training programmes.

2. Inspectors must, as a minimum, have either:

(a)

appropriate qualifications from a marine or nautical institution and relevant seagoing experience as a certificated ship officer holding or having held a valid STCW II/2 or III/2 certificate of competency not limited as regards the operating area or propulsion power or tonnage; or

(b)

passed an examination recognised by the competent Authority as a naval architect, mechanical engineer or an engineer related to the maritime fields and worked in that capacity for at least five years; or

(c)

a relevant university degree or equivalent and have properly trained and qualified as ship safety inspectors.

3. The inspector must have:

• completed a minimum of one year’s service as a flag-State inspector either dealing with surveys and certification in accordance with the Conventions or involved in the monitoring of the activities of recognised organisations to which statutory tasks have been delegated, or

• gained an equivalent level of competence by following a minimum of one year’s field training participating in Port State Control inspections under the guidance of experienced Port State Control Officers.

4. The inspectors mentioned under 2(a) must have gained a maritime experience of at least 5 years, including periods served at sea as officers in the deck- or engine-department respectively, or as a flag State inspector or as an assistant port State control inspector. Such experience shall include a period of at least two years at sea as a deck or engine officer.

5. The inspectors must have the ability to communicate orally and in writing with seafarers in the language most commonly spoken at sea.

6. Inspectors not fulfilling the above criteria are also accepted if they are employed by the competent authority of a Member State for port State control at the date of adoption of this Directive.

7. Where in a Member State inspections referred to in Article 15(1) and (2) are performed by port State control inspectors; those inspectors shall have appropriate qualifications, which shall include sufficient theoretical and practical experience in maritime security. This shall normally include:

(a)

a good understanding of maritime security and how it is applied to the operations being examined;

(b)

a good working knowledge of security technologies and techniques;

(c)

a knowledge of inspection principles, procedures and techniques;

(d)

a working knowledge of the operations being examined.