Certificates of competency, certificates of proficiency and endorsements
Article 5
1
Member States shall ensure that certificates of competency and certificates of proficiency are issued only to candidates who comply with the requirements of this Article.
2
Certificates for masters, officers and radio operators shall be endorsed by the Member State as prescribed in this Article.
3
Certificates of competency and certificates of proficiency shall be issued in accordance with Regulation I/2, paragraph 3 of the Annex to the STCW Convention.
3a
Certificates of competency shall be issued only by the Member States, following verification of the authenticity and validity of any necessary documentary evidence and in accordance with the provisions laid down in this Article.
4
In respect of radio operators, Member States may:
a
include the additional knowledge required by the relevant regulations in the examination for the issue of a certificate complying with the Radio Regulations; or
b
issue a separate certificate indicating that the holder has the additional knowledge required by the relevant regulations.
5
At the discretion of a Member State endorsements may be incorporated in the format of the certificates being issued as provided for in section A-I/2 of the STCW Code. If so incorporated the form used shall be that set out in section A-I/2, paragraph 1. If issued otherwise, the form of endorsements used shall be that set out in paragraph 2 of that section. Endorsements shall be issued in accordance with Article VI, paragraph 2, of the STCW Convention.
Endorsements attesting the issue of a certificate of competency and endorsements attesting a certificate of proficiency issued to masters and officers in accordance with the Regulations V/1-1 and V/1-2 of Annex I shall be issued only if all the requirements of the STCW Convention and this Directive have been complied with.
6
A Member State which recognises a certificate of competency, or a certificate of proficiency, issued to masters and officers in accordance with Regulations V/1-1 and V/1-2 of the Annex to the STCW Convention under the procedure laid down in Article 19(2) of this Directive shall endorse that certificate to attest its recognition only after ensuring the authenticity and validity of the certificate. The form of the endorsement used shall be that set out in paragraph 3 of Section A-I/2 of the STCW Code.
7
The endorsements referred to in paragraphs 5 and 6:
a
may be issued as separate documents;
b
shall be issued by Member States only;
c
shall each be assigned a unique number, except for endorsements attesting the issue of a certificate of competency, which may be assigned the same number as the certificate of competency concerned, provided that that number is unique; and
d
shall each expire as soon as the endorsed certificate of competency or certificate of proficiency issued to masters and officers in accordance with Regulations V/1-1 and V/1-2 of the Annex to the STCW Convention expires or is withdrawn, suspended or cancelled by the Member State or third country which issued it and, in any case, within five years of their date of issue.
8
The capacity in which the holder of a certificate is authorised to serve shall be identified in the form of endorsement in terms identical to those used in the applicable safe-manning requirements of the Member State concerned.
9
A Member State may use a format different from the format laid down in section A-I/2 of the STCW Code, provided that, as a minimum, the required information is provided in Roman characters and Arabic figures, taking account of the variations permitted under section A-I/2.
10
Subject to Article 19(7), any certificate required by this Directive shall be kept available in its original form on board the ship on which the holder is serving, in a hard copy or in a digital format, the authenticity and validity of which may be verified under the procedure laid down in point (b) of paragraph 12 of this Article.
11
Candidates for certification shall provide satisfactory proof:
a
of their identity;
b
that their age is not less than that prescribed in the Regulations listed in Annex I relevant to the certificate of competency or certificate of proficiency applied for;
c
that they meet the standards of medical fitness, specified in Section A-I/9 of the STCW Code;
d
that they have completed the seagoing service and any related compulsory training prescribed in the Regulations listed in Annex I for the certificate of competency or certificate of proficiency applied for; and
e
that they meet the standards of competence prescribed in the Regulations listed in Annex I for the capacities, functions and levels that are to be identified in the endorsement of the certificate of competency.
This paragraph shall not apply to recognition of endorsements under Regulation I/10 of the STCW Convention.
12
Each Member State shall undertake:
a
to maintain a register or registers of all certificates of competency and certificates of proficiency and endorsements for masters and officers and, where applicable, ratings which are issued, have expired or have been revalidated, suspended, cancelled or reported as lost or destroyed, as well as of dispensations issued;
b
to make available information on the status of certificates of competency, endorsements and dispensations to other Member States or other Parties to the STCW Convention and companies which request verification of the authenticity and validity of certificates of competency and/or certificates issued to masters and officers in accordance with Regulations V/1-1 and V/1-2 of Annex I produced to them by seafarers seeking recognition, under Regulation I/10 of the STCW Convention, or employment on board ship.
13
When relevant amendments to the STCW Convention and Part A of the STCW Code related to digital certificates for seafarers come into force, the Commission is empowered to adopt delegated acts in accordance with Article 27a to amend this Directive by aligning all the relevant provisions thereof with those amendments to the STCW Convention and Part A of the STCW Code in order to digitalise the seafarers' certificates and endorsements.
Substituted by Directive 2012/35/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 November 2012 amending Directive 2008/106/EC on the minimum level of training of seafarers (Text with EEA relevance).
Inserted by Directive 2012/35/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 November 2012 amending Directive 2008/106/EC on the minimum level of training of seafarers (Text with EEA relevance).
Substituted by Directive (EU) 2019/1159 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 June 2019 amending Directive 2008/106/EC on the minimum level of training of seafarers and repealing Directive 2005/45/EC on the mutual recognition of seafarers' certificates issued by the Member States (Text with EEA relevance).