This document is an excerpt from the EUR-Lex website
It aims to ensure that minimum safety and health systems are in place to improve medical treatment on board vessels.
Each European Union (EU) Member State should ensure that vessels registered in that country, or flying its flag, carries medical supplies. The detailed requirements depend on the category of vessel and the details listed in the annexes to the directive. In addition:
Any vessel transporting dangerous substances must carry the appropriate antidotes. Ferries must in any case carry a minimum of antidotes (as outlined in Annex II) to allow for the fact that the carriage of dangerous substances may not be known in advance, unless the regular crossing is under 2 hours. All available antidotes and medical supplies must be detailed on a checklist.
Other obligations
Medical consultations by radio
Member States must designate centres to provide workers with free medical advice by radio, including from doctors trained in the special conditions prevailing on board ship.
Annual inspections
Member States must ensure that annual inspections are carried out to check that medical supplies comply with the directive.
Regulation (EU) 2019/1243 amends Directive 92/29/EEC giving the Commission powers, as of 26 July 2019, to adopt delegated acts to make strictly technical amendments to its annexes to take account of technical progress or changes in international regulations or specifications and new findings concerning medical treatment on board vessels.
Amendments
Directive 92/29/EEC has applied since 10 April 1992 and had to become law in the Member States by 31 December 1994.
Following the COVID-19 outbreak and the need to introduce measures to cope with the impact of the crisis, the Commission adopted guidelines on the protection of health, repatriation and travel arrangements for seafarers, passengers and other persons on board ships.
For further information, see:
Council Directive 92/29/EEC of 31 March 1992 on the minimum safety and health requirements for improved medical treatment on board vessels (OJ L 113, 30.4.1992, pp. 19–36).
Successive amendments to Directive 92/29/EEC have been incorporated into the original text. This consolidated version is of documentary value only.
last update 12.11.2021