Community ports: vessels carrying dangerous or polluting goods (amend. Directive 93/75/EEC)

The Council's common position amends the definition of 'dangerous goods' which originally only referred to the International Maritime Dangerous Goods Code (IMDG) in order to clarify that it covers radioactive materials as referred to in the INF Code. It also requires ships to notify their INF Class. As a consequence the common position also provides for a definition of 'INF Code'. Moreover, the competences of the regulatory committee provided for under Directive 93/75/EEC have been extended so that it will be in a position: -to apply, for the purposes of the Directive, subsequent amendments to the INF Code which have entered into force; - to amend the Annexes in line with subsequent amendments to the relevant international conventions, codes and resolutions which have entered into force, but without broadening the scope of the Directive. The common position also amends Annex I (information on vessels carrying dangerous or polluting goods) and Annex II (check list for vessels) in the light of amendments to the relevant international instruments which have entered into force since the date of adoption of Directive 93/75/EEC. The Member States will have to comply with the Directive no later than 30 June 1998. The Council followed the Commission's amended proposal on all points, taking over in particular two of Parliament's amendments seeking to: - permit the application for the purposes of the Directive of subsequent amendments to the INF Code by using the committee procedure set up under Directive 93/75/EEC; - ensure that the authorities in charge of emergency response in the case of an accident or incident at sea involving a ship carrying hazardous materials have access to information on the number of crew on board. �