Maritime safety: roll-on/roll-off passenger ferries

1) OBJECTIVE

To enhance passenger safety on roll-on/roll-off ferries by improving their design and equipment, the quality of their crews and the responsibility of owners and operators of this type of ship.

2) ACT

Council Resolution of 22 December 1994 on the safety of roll-on/roll-off passenger ferries [Official Journal C 379 of 31.12.1994].

3) SUMMARY

The Resolution invites Member States and Commission to support the International Maritime Organization (IMO) initiative of a panel of maritime experts to recommend improvements in the safety of roll-on/roll-off passenger ferries.

It also invites Member States and Commission to submit or support proposals calling on IMO to:

review the intact and damage stability requirements applied to roll-on/roll-off passenger ferries in order to enhance their survivability;
review evacuation procedures for these ships;
review the requirements for qualified medical personnel on board these ships;
prepare a convention to provide for the investigation of marine casualties and for cooperation between States in such investigations;
improve the performance of voyage recorders as an aid to determining the causes of casualties involving these ships;
apply the standards set out in the Agreement concerning the stability of existing ro-ro passenger ships to all ships operating to and from ports in a specified maritime area of north-west Europe;
improve the focus and speed the work of IMO's Subcommittee on Flag State Implementation.

The Commission and Member States must strive to apply provisions relating to expanded inspection under the laws on port State control.

The Commission must submit proposals for decisions, concerning in particular the advance mandatory application of the International Safety Management Code (ISM Code) before 1 July 1996, which all aim to improve safety on board this type of ship.

The Resolution strongly urges dialogue between Member States and Commission on the subject of ferry safety, and emphasises that Member States and classification societies must do everything in their power to attain this safety objective.

4) implementing measures

5) follow-up work

Council Regulation (EC) No 3051/95 of 8 December 1995 on the safety management of roll-on/roll-off passenger ferries (ro-ro ferries) [Official Journal L 320 of 30.12.1995]

Communication from the Commission on the enhanced safety of passenger ships in the Community [COM(2002) 158 final - Not published in the Official Journal]

Directive 2003/25/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 April 2003 on specific stability requirements for ro-ro passenger ships [Official Journal L 123 of 17.05.2003]

Last updated: 30.01.2004