Commission Delegated Directive (EU) 2018/970

of 18 April 2018

amending Annexes II, III and V to Directive (EU) 2016/1629 of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down technical requirements for inland waterway vessels

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,

Having regard to Directive (EU) 2016/1629 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 September 2016 laying down technical requirements for inland waterway vessels, amending Directive 2009/100/EC and repealing Directive 2006/87/EC1, and in particular Article 31(1), (3) and (4) thereof,

Whereas:

(1)
Directive 2006/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council2 is repealed with effect from 7 October 2018 by Directive (EU) 2016/1629. Annex II to Directive (EU) 2016/1629 lays down that the technical requirements applicable to crafts are those set out in ES-TRIN standard 2015/1.
(2)

Union action in the sector of inland navigation should aim to ensure uniformity in the development of technical requirements for inland waterway vessels to be applied in the Union.

(3)

The European Committee for drawing up standards in the field of inland navigation (‘CESNI’) has been created on 3 June 2015 in the framework of the Central Commission for the Navigation on the Rhine (‘CCNR’) in order to develop technical standards for inland waterways in various fields, in particular as regards vessels, information technology and crew.

(4)
CESNI has adopted new European Standard laying down Technical Requirements for Inland Navigations vessels, the ES-TRIN standard 2017/1 at its meeting on 6 July 20173.
(5)

ES-TRIN standard lays down the uniform technical requirements necessary to ensure the safety of inland navigation vessels. It includes provisions regarding shipbuilding, fitting out and equipment for inland navigation vessels, special provisions regarding specific categories of vessels such as passenger vessels, pushed convoys and container vessels, provisions regarding the automatic identification system equipment, provisions regarding vessels identification, a model of certificates and register, transitional provisions as well as instructions for the application of the technical standard.

(6)

The CCNR will amend its legislative framework, the Rhine Vessel Inspection Regulations, to refer to the new standard and make that new standard mandatory in the framework of the application of the Revised Convention for Rhine navigation.

(7)

Directive (EU) 2016/1629 should therefore be amended accordingly.

(8)

In the interest of coherence, the amended provisions should be transposed and apply from the same date, as initially provided for the transposition and the application of Directive (EU) 2016/1629,

HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: