Carriage of goods and persons by inland waterway: conditions for obtaining national boatmasters' certificates

The European Parliament approved the Commission proposal subject to 16 amendments seeking to clarify and strengthen the directive. In Parliament's opinion: - joint provisions should be laid down for issuing inland waterway boatmasters' certificates in order to respond to the need to gradually strengthen safety requirements in the inland waterway sector; - examinations in knowledge and skills set by the Member States should be organised on the basis of equivalent procedures; - the directive should apply to masters of towed vessels and pushed barges; - the Member States should retain the facility to issue boatmasters' certificates to persons aged 18 and upwards; - professional experience should be validated by a Member State by entering it in a personal service record; - certificates of aptitude should be kept with the boatmasters' certificate; - for the transportation of dangerous substances, not only should the boatmaster be in possession of a certificate, but the boatmaster or another member of the crew should have passed the examinations or should hold the certificate issued in accordance with the requirements of the ADNR (marginalia 10135 and 210315); - the boatmaster should also have a Rhine radar navigation certificate in order to sail a vessel with the aid of radar; - Member States should consult at least once a year on examination requirements and regulations for the purposes of harmonisation; - finally, the European Parliament strengthened the requirements of Annex II by adding the following subjects: entering and leaving tidal ports, knowledge of ropes, cables, chains and closing devices, knowledge of control mechanisms (hydraulic/pneumatic) and safety requirements.�