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/EC entered into force on 6 October 2016 with the date of transposition and application of 7 October 2018.
Directive (EU) 2016/1629 introduces harmonised conditions for issuing inland navigation certificates for inland waterway vessels in all Member States. As a result, the technical requirements for inland waterway vessels are uniform across all Member States. This ensures simplification of rules, leading to high levels of safety, and contributes directly to creating a deeper and fairer internal market.
The requirements are established by making reference to the European Standards laying down Technical Requirements for Inland Navigation vessels (ES-TRIN standards), drawn up by the European Committee for drawing up Standards in Inland Navigation (CESNI), which is an international body created in the framework of the Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine (CCNR).
Not only does EU legislation refer to this standard and its updates, but so does the legislative framework adopted within the Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine (CCNR).
This approach ensures that Union inland navigation certificates attesting that all types of crafts are fully compliant with the aforementioned revised technical requirements are valid on all EU inland waterways, including on the Rhine, and that Rhine certificates are valid on all EU inland waterways.
The availability of information on vessels and certificates is ensured via a dedicated database (European Hull Database - EHDB), which ensures that Member State authorities can effectively implement the safety requirements for vessels.
The list of recognised classification societies:
- In accordance with article 21(4):
- Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore SAS
- Lloyd’s Register EMEA
- Italian Register of Shipping
- Polish Register of Shipping
- In accordance with Article 21(1):
- DNV GL AS
- Croatian Register of Shipping