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

The recommendation for second reading by Mr Leen van der WAAL (I-EDN, NL) on the harmonization of the conditions for obtaining national boatmasters' certificates for the carriage of goods and passengers by inland waterways in the Community adopted by Parliament accepted the amendment to the scope of the directive made in the common position, the main import of which was that the issue of the transport of dangerous goods would be dealt with in a separate directive. At the same time, Parliament: - called for examinations in knowledge and skills carried out by the Member States to be organized on the basis of equivalent procedures; - considered that, in order to obtain certificates, the minimum professional experience required could be reduced by two years at the most (rather than three, as provided for in the common position) if the applicant was the holder of a recognized diploma or could provide proof of professional experience acquired on a sea-going vessel; - considered that examinations of boatmasters over the age of 65 should be held at three-year intervals (rather than on a yearly basis). Lastly, with a view to harmonizing examination syllabuses and procedures, Parliament asked the Commission to ensure that the competent authorities of the Member States consult each other at least once a year on examination requirements and regulations.