Harmonised safety regime for fishing vessels of 24 metres in length and over

OBJECTIVE: to establish a harmonised safety regime for fishing vessels of 24 metres in length and over operating in Community waters. CONTENT: the proposal for a directive defines the general safety requirements to be applied by the Member States: - as flag state, for fishing vessels flying the flag of a Member State; - as host state, for fishing vessels flying the flag of a third country and operating in the territorial waters of a Member State or landing their catch in a port of a Member State. The requirements laid down in the proposal are based on the 1993 Torremolinos Protocol, which relates in particular to: certification, the construction and fitting-out of fishing vessels, their stability, machinery and installations, fire protection, crew safety, life-saving appliances, emergency procedures, radio communications and navigation equipment. Given that it is impossible for the Member States to ensure that the Protocol enters into force quickly, the Commission proposed that all fishing vessels flying the flag of a Member State of the European Union should apply the rules of the 1993 Protocol from 1 January 1998 at the latest. �