Marine equipment

The transport committee decided this morning to approve Council's common position on a directive on marine-equipment. Rapporteur Mr Nikitas KAKLAMANIS considered this directive as the first piece of EU legislation relating to the safety and effectiveness of marine equipment. The basic aim of the directive is twofold: to enhance the safety of vessels using EU ports and at the same time to promote the integration of the internal market by ensuring a high and uniform level of quality and suitability of equipment carried by those vessels. He has however retabled amendments from first reading, in particular on protecting equipment safety checks via independent notified bodies, on radio communications equipment and on commitology. �