Marine equipment

The Committee strongly supports the underlying objectives of the proposal, namely: - to improve safety at sea; - to secure the harmonized application of testing standards within the EU; - to allow free movement of the approved equipment in all Member States, according to the standards and criteria laid down by the EU. However, the proposal appears geared more to the objective of removing obstacles to the free movement of goods, rather than the further enhancement of safety levels. The Committee supports the free movement of equipment and the harmonization of testing criteria as key objectives for the automatic mutual recognition of equipment throughout the EU. It also endorses the provisions designed to ensure that the Commission ultimately coordinate Member States' action on the Community's behalf.�