Ro-ro passenger ships: stability requirements

PURPOSE: to improve the stability requirements applicable to ro-ro passenger ships, known as ‘ferries’.

LEGISLATIVE ACT: Directive (EU) 2023/946 of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive 2003/25/EC as regards the inclusion of improved stability requirements and the alignment of that Directive with the stability requirements defined by the International Maritime Organization.

CONTENT: Directive 2003/25/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishes a uniform level of specific capacity requirements for ro-ro passenger ships which improves the survivability of this type of ship in the event of collision damage and provides a high level of safety.

Directive 2003/25/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishes a uniform level of specific stability requirements for ro-ro passenger ships improving the survivability of this type of vessel in the case of collision damage and providing a high level of safety for the passengers and the crew.

The revised directive ensures, as far as possible, consistency with the applicable international standards for the stability of damaged passenger ships recently updated by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) under its 2020 International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS Convention).

The IMO has recently introduced a new model for assessing the survivability of damaged ‘ro-ro’ passenger ships, as well as new related requirements. However, these new international standards are not completely in line with the requirements already in force in the Union for smaller new vessels. Therefore, the new law maintains a level of safety requirements equivalent to existing Union law for those ships.

The revised directive also aims to strengthen fleet entry requirements within the Union for existing large vessels that have not yet been certified in the Union.

In order not to impose a disproportionate administrative burden on landlocked Member States which have no seaports, and which have no ro-ro passenger ships flying their flag falling within the scope of Directive 2003/25/EC, such Member States should be allowed to derogate from the provisions of Directive 2003/25/EC.

In order to enable the Commission to evaluate and report to the European Parliament and the Council on the implementation of this Directive, Member States should provide data on every new ro-ro passenger ship that is certified to carry 1 350 or fewer persons on board for regular service in compliance with the stability requirements contained in this directive. This data will be provided in accordance with the structure set out in Annex II. This data will be available for all new ro-ro passenger ships, as they are required to comply with the probabilistic stability requirements set out in SOLAS 2020.

ENTRY INTO FORCE: 4.6.2023.

TRANSPOSITION: 5.12.2024.