Return to Recreational Boat Building Industry Home Page
SOURCE: USDOC, International Trade Administration SOURCE KEY: IT PROGRAM KEY: IT MARKET PROGRAM: Market Research Reports UPDATE: Monthly ID NUMBER: IT MARKET 111100492 TITLE: EUROPEAN COMM. - MARINE RECREATION EQUIP REGS - IMI930512 DATA TYPE: TEXT END YEAR: 1993 UPDATED: 05/14/93 KEYWORDS 1: | 9305 | CC034 | EUROPEAN COMM. | IMI | IMI9305 | PLB | PLEASURE BOATS AND ACCESSORIES COUNTRY: | EUROPEAN COMM. TEXT EUROPEAN COMM. - MARINE RECREATION EQUIP REGS - IMI930512 SUMMARY This article is derived from a telegraphic report dated 12 May 1993, prepared at the American Embassy - Brussels (USEC). It discusses European Community regulations affecting marine recreation equipment. The article consists of 2 pages. 12 MAY 93 USEC BRUSSELS SUBJECT: THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY'S RECREATIONAL CRAFT AND MARINE EQUIPMENT LEGISLATION -- AN UPDATE 1. SUMMARY. FCS USEC SENIOR FSN MET WITH COMMISSION DG III/E/4 HEAD OF DIVISION CARVALHO AND TECHNICAL EXPERT KASPER RE: THE COMMISSION'S WORK IN THE AREAS OF RECREATIONAL CRAFT AND MARINE EQUIPMENT. WHILE THE RECREATIONAL CRAFT DIRECTIVE IS WELL ON ITS WAY TO BEING ADOPTED, THE MARINE EQUIPMENT LEGISLATION IS STILL IN ITS INFANCY. END SUMMARY. 2. RECREATIONAL CRAFT DIRECTIVE. THE PROPOSED RECREATIONAL CRAFT DIRECTIVE WAS PUBLISHED IN MAY 1992 (OJ C 123, 1992) AND DISCUSSED IN THE COUNCIL AT THE END OF 1992. IT WAS AMENDED IN FEBRUARY 1993 (OJ C 59, 1993) TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WORDING CLARIFICATIONS PROPOSED BY THE PARLIAMENT AND THE ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE. A COUNCIL COMMON POSITION IS EXPECTED IN JUNE 1993, WITH ADOPTION SOMETIME THEREAFTER. THIS TIMEFRAME MAY BE OPTIMISTIC: APPARENTLY THERE REMAIN DISAGREEMENTS BETWEEN MEMBER STATE REPRESENTATIVES OVER UNSPECIFIED DETAILS. INDUSTRY, THROUGH THE INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF MARINE INDUSTRY ASSOCATIONS (ICOMIA) AND ITS U.S. MEMBER NATIONAL MARINE MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION (NMMA), HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE DRAFTING OF THIS DIRECTIVE FROM THE VERY BEGINNING AND SUPPORTS ITS IMPLEMENTATION. 3. MARINE EQUIPMENT LEGISLATION. WORK ON MARINE EQUIPMENT LEGISLATION HAS NOT PROGRESSED MUCH. WORK IN DIRECTORATE GENERAL III HAS BEEN ON HOLD SINCE THE TURN OF THE YEAR DUE TO THE DEPARTURE OF THE TECHNICAL EXPERT FROM THE U.K., DR. MORRALL. WITH THE ARRIVAL OF MR. KASPER FROM DENMARK, DIVISION HEAD CARVALHO HOPES THAT WORK ON THE EXISTING DRAFT LEGISLATION WORKING PAPERS WILL ACCELERATE. AS DESCRIBED IN REFTEL A, THE COMMISSION IS STILL LOOKING AT THREE TO FOUR PIECES OF LEGISLATION (INCLUDING NEW APPROACH) TO COVER THIS IMPORTANT SECTOR. 4. COMMISSION COMMUNICATION ON MARINE SAFETY. WORK IN THE MARINE AREA IS NOW GUIDED BY A RECENT DIRECTORATE-GENERAL VII (TRANSPORT) COMMUNICATION (COM(93) 66 OF FEB 24) ON "A COMMON APPROACH TO MARITIME SECURITY," IN WHICH THE FRAMEWORK FOR FUTURE WORK IN THE MARINE AREA WILL BE BASED. THE COMMUNICATION (NOT YET AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH DUE TO TRANSLATION DIFFICULTIES) IS BASED IN PART ON THE REALIZATION THAT THE COMMUNITY CANNOT AFFORD TO HAVE THE VARIOUS IMO RULES APPLIED DIFFERENTLY BY THE MEMBER STATES OF THE COMMUNITY. THE COMMUNICATION SPECIFICALLY ADDRESSES THE NEED FOR THE HARMONIZED APPLICATION OF INTERNATIONAL MARITIME ORGANIZATION (IMO) CONVENTIONS AND FOR HARMONIZED EC RULES COVERING THOSE AREAS NOT ADDRESSED BY IMO. 5. OTHER MARINE RELATED WORK. CONTRARY TO THE WISHES OF INDUSTRY, THE COMMISSION IS TAKING A CAUTIOUS APPROACH TO LEGISLATING ON PLEASURE BOAT EMISSIONS. RECENT GERMAN LEGISLATION ON RECREATIONAL CRAFT EMISSIONS FOR THE BADENSEE LAKE HAD PROMPTED INDUSTRY TO CALL FOR EC-WIDE LEGISLATION COVERING EMISSIONS. THE COMMISSION, HOWEVER, HAS DECIDED THAT, BECAUSE ONLY ONE MEMBER STATE HAS TAKEN SUCH AN INITIATIVE, IT WOULD BE PRECIPITOUS TO START LEGISLATING AT THE EC-LEVEL. DOBBINS
Return to Recreational Boat Building Industry Home Page