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

OBJECTIVE: to set up a harmonized safety system for fishing vessels of 24 metres in length or over operating in Community waters. COMMUNITY MEASURE: Council Directive 97/70/EC SUBSTANCE: the directive is intended to make compulsory the provisions of the 1997 Torremolinos Convention and its 1993 Protocol for fishing vessels of 24 metres in length or over and: - flying the flag of a Member State and registered in the Community, or - flying the flag of a non-Member State and operating in the internal waters or territorial sea of a Member State or landing their catch in the port of a Member State. This Convention and Protocol deal in particular with the certification, construction and equipment of fishing vessels, their stability, machinery and installations, fire protection, crew safety, life-saving appliances, emergency procedures, radio communications and navigation equipment. The Directive also seeks: - to extend to fishing vessels of between 24 and 45 metres in length the provisions of the Torremolinos Convention, which apply only to vessels of 45 metres in length and over; - to set certain specific requirements of a general or regional scope over and above the provisions of the Torremolinos Protocol; - to decide to use a committee procedure to adopt harmonized interpretations, with regard to the Community, of the 200 provisions of the protocol which have been left to the discretion of the contracting parties. The Member States should also carry out surveys to ensure that the fishing vessels comply with the requirements laid down in the directive and must issue and renew certificates of compliance in accordance with the format laid down in Annex V. The fishing vessels are subject to surveys by the port State. Lastly, Member States must adopt a system of penalties for infringements of the national provisions adopted pursuant to the directive. ENTRY INTO FORCE: 01/03/1998 DEADLINE FOR TRANSPOSITION: 01/01/1999 �