Council Directive 82/714/EEC of 4 October 1982 laying down technical requirements for inland waterway vessels (3) introduced harmonised conditions for issuing technical certificates for inland waterway vessels in all Member States, albeit excluding operations on the Rhine. Nevertheless, at European level, various technical requirements for inland waterway vessels have remained in force. Up to now, the coexistence of various international and national regulations has obstructed efforts to ensure mutual recognition of national navigation certificates without the need for an additional inspection of foreign vessels. Furthermore, the standards contained in Directive 82/714/EEC, in part, no longer reflect current technological developments.
(2)
Essentially, the technical requirements set out in the annexes to Directive 82/714/EEC incorporate the provisions laid down in the Rhine Vessel Inspection Regulation, in the version approved by the Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine (CCNR) in 1982. The conditions and technical requirements for issuing inland navigation certificates under Article 22 of the Revised Convention for Rhine Navigation have been revised regularly since then and are recognised as reflecting current technological developments. For competition and safety reasons it is desirable, specifically in the interests of promoting harmonisation at European level, to adopt the scope and content of such technical requirements for the whole of the Community's inland waterway network. Account should be taken in this regard of the changes that have occurred in that network.
(3)
Community inland navigation certificates attesting the full compliance of vessels with the aforementioned revised technical requirements should be valid on all Community inland waterways.
(4)
It is desirable to ensure a greater degree of harmonisation between the conditions for the issuing of supplementary Community inland navigation certificates by Member States for operations on Zone 1 and 2 waterways (estuaries), as well as for operations on Zone 4 waterways.
(5)
In the interests of passenger transport safety, it is desirable that the scope of Directive 82/714/EEC be extended to include passenger vessels designed to carry more than 12 passengers, along the lines of the Rhine Vessel Inspection Regulation.
(6)
In the interests of safety, harmonisation of standards should be at a high level and should be achieved in such a way so as not to result in any reduction in safety standards on any Community inland waterway.
(7)
It is appropriate to provide for a transitional regime for vessels in service not yet carrying a Community inland navigation certificate when subjected to a first technical inspection under the revised technical requirements established by this Directive.
(8)
It is appropriate, within certain limits and according to the category of vessel concerned, to determine the period of validity of Community inland navigation certificates in each specific case.
(9)
The measures necessary for the implementation of this Directive should be adopted in accordance with Council Decision 1999/468/EC of 28 June 1999 laying down the procedures for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission (4).
(10)
It is necessary that the measures provided for in Council Directive 76/135/EEC of 20 January 1976 on reciprocal recognition of navigability licenses for inland waterway vessels (5) remain in force for those vessels not covered by this Directive.
(11)
Given that some vessels fall within the scope of Directive 94/25/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 June 1994 on the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States relating to recreational craft (6) as well as of this Directive, the annexes of the two Directives should be adjusted by the relevant committee procedures as soon as possible if there are any contradictions or inconsistencies between the provisions of those Directives.
(12)
In accordance with point 34 of the Interinstitutional Agreement on better law-making (7), Member States are encouraged to draw up, for themselves and in the interests of the Community, their own tables illustrating, as far as possible, the correlation between this Directive and the transposition measures, and to make them public.
