Reporting formalities for ships

SUMMARY OF:

Directive 2010/65/EU on reporting formalities for ships arriving in and/or departing from EU ports

WHAT IS THE AIM OF THE DIRECTIVE?

It aims to reduce the amount of reporting formalities for ships arriving in and/or departing from EU ports so as to facilitate maritime transport.
It has been amended by Directive (EU) 2017/2109 on the registration of persons on board passenger ships and Directive (EU) 2019/883 on port reception facilities for the delivery of waste from ships.

KEY POINTS

Scope

This directive applies to the reporting formalities applicable to maritime transport for ships arriving in and ships departing from ports in EU countries.

EU countries must ensure that the reporting formalities at their ports are requested in a harmonised and coordinated manner. The master, or any other person duly authorised by the operator of the ship, must provide the competent national authority with notification, prior to arriving in an EU port, of the information required under the reporting formalities.

Electronic transmission of data

EU countries:

had to accept the electronic submission of reporting formalities via a single window at the latest by 1 June 2015; this national single window is the place where all information is reported once and made available to various competent authorities and the EU countries;
must ensure that information received in accordance with reporting formalities is made available in their national SafeSeaNet systems and make available parts of such information to other EU countries via the SafeSeaNet system;
must accept FAL forms (special forms developed by the International Maritime Organization for the facilitation of international maritime traffic) for the fulfilment of reporting formalities and they were still able to accept information provided in paper format until 1 June 2015.

Exemptions

Ships which are within the scope of Directive 2002/59/EC (see summary) and which operate between ports situated in the customs territory of the EU, without coming from, calling at or heading towards a port outside the EU, are exempt from the obligation to provide the information.

Amendments

Amending Directive (EU) 2017/2109 introduced new rules which aim at digitalising the registration of persons sailing on board passengers ships. It seeks to ensure the immediate availability of the exact number of passengers and other information for the use of the search and rescue (SAR) services in the event of an accident. Under the new requirements, the number of persons on board has to be communicated by means of either the national single windows or, where an EU country so chooses, to the designated authority by means of the automatic identification system* before the ship’s departure.
Directive (EU) 2019/883 on port reception facilities for the delivery of waste from ships amends the annex to Directive 2010/65/EU regarding the information to be provided to the authorities concerning waste from ships, including residues.

Repeal

Directive 2010/65/EU is repealed by Regulation (EU) 2019/1239 on a European Maritime Single Window environment as of 15 August 2025. The new regulation establishes a framework for a technologically neutral and interoperable European Maritime Single Window environment (EMSWe) with harmonised interfaces to facilitate the electronic transmission of information in relation to reporting obligations for ships arriving at, staying in and departing from EU ports.

FROM WHEN DOES THE DIRECTIVE APPLY?

The directive has applied in the EU countries since 19 May 2012 and it had to become law in the EU countries on the same date.

BACKGROUND

For more information, see:

European Maritime Single Window environment (European Commission)

Following the COVID-19 outbreak and introducing measures to cope with the impact of the crisis, the European Commission adopted:

Communication from the Commission — Guidelines on protection of health, repatriation and travel arrangements for seafarers, passengers and other persons on board ships.

KEY TERMS

Automatic Identification System: a maritime broadcast system, based on the transmission of very high frequency (VHF) radio signals. Ships send reports with ship identification, position, and course, as well as information on cargo. In EU, Icelandic and Norwegian waters, the exchange of AIS messages is done through the SafeSeaNet system.

MAIN DOCUMENT

Directive 2010/65/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 October 2010 on reporting formalities for ships arriving in and/or departing from ports of the Member States and repealing Directive 2002/6/EC (OJ L 283, 29.10.2010, pp. 1-10)

Successive amendments to Directive 2010/65/EU have been incorporated into the original document. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.