Maritime safety: double hull or equivalent design for single hull oil tankers, package Erika I

PURPOSE : to secure ship safety by accelerating the phasing in of double hull tankers. COMMUNITY MEASURE : Regulation 417/2002/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the accelerated phasing in of double hull or equivalent design requirements for single hull oil tankers and repealing Council Regulation 2978/94/EC. CONTENT : The purpose of this Regulation is to establish an accelerated phasing in scheme for the application of the double hull or equivalent design requirements of the MARPOL 73/78 to single hull oil tankers. The Regulation applies to oil tankers of 5000 tons deadweight and above entering into a port or offshore terminal under the jurisdiction of a member State, irrespective of their flag, or flying the flag of a Member State. The respective final dates by which tankers must comply with MARPOL 73/78 depend on the size and age of the ship. Oil tankers are divided into three categories according to their tonnage, construction and age. The final date by which a single hull oil tanker is to be phased out is the anniversary of the date of delivery of the ship, according to a schedule starting in 2003 until 2007 for Category 1 oil tankers, and until 2015 for Categories 2 and 3. An oil tanker will not be allowed to enter ports or offshore terminals under the jurisdiction of a Member state beyond the anniversary of the date of delivery of the ship, in 2005 for Category 1 ships and 2010 for category 2 ships, unless it complies with the Condition Assessment Scheme. Council Regulation 2978/94/EC is repealed from 31/12/07. There are exemptions for ships in difficulty or ships to be repaired. ENTRY INTO FORCE : 27/03/02. DATE OF APPLICATION : 01/09/02. �