Directive 2002/59/EC of the European Parliament and of the CouncilShow full title

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

Article 8U.K.Monitoring of the compliance of ships with vessel traffic services

Member States shall monitor and take all necessary and appropriate measures to ensure that:

(a)

ships entering the area of applicability of a VTS operated by one or more States, of which at least one is a Member State, within their territorial sea and based on the guidelines developed by the IMO, participate in, and comply with, the rules of that VTS;

(b)

ships flying the flag of a Member State or ships bound for a port of a Member State and entering the area of applicability of such a VTS outside the territorial sea of a Member State and based on the guidelines developed by the IMO, comply with the rules of that VTS;

(c)

ships flying the flag of a third State and not bound for a port in a Member State entering a VTS area outside the territorial sea of a Member State, follow the rules of that VTS wherever possible. Member States should report to the flag State concerned any apparent serious breach of those rules in such a VTS area.