Maritime transport: formalities for ships arriving in and departing from Member States ports, IMO FAL convention

PURPOSE : to facilitate maritime transport by providing for the standardisation of reporting formalities. COMMUNITY MEASURE : Directive 06/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on reporting formalities for ships arriving in and/or departing from ports of the Member States of the Community. CONTENT : The documentary procedures required in maritime transport have caused concern. The IMO FAL Convention has provided a set of models for standardised facilitation forms for ships to fulfil certain reporting formalities when they arrive in or depart from a port. Whilst most Member States use these forms, they do not apply the models provided under the auspices of the IMO in a uniform manner. This directive introduces the recognition of IMO FAL forms at Community level. Member States must recognises the forms and the categories of information in them as sufficient proof that a ship has fulfilled the reporting formalities that the forms are intended for. The recognition of some forms, however, particularly the cargo declaration and passenger lists, add to the complexity of reporting formalities, and the obligatory recognition of these forms is not introduced. DATE FOR TRANSPOSITION : 09/09/03. ENTRY INTO FORCE : 09/03/02.�