Proposal for a Council Decision on the position to be adopted in the European Committee for drawing up standards in the field of inland navigation (CESNI) and at the plenary session of the Central Commission for the Navigation on the Rhine (CCNR) on the adoption of standards concerning technical requirements for inland waterways

The CCNR is an international organisation with regulatory competences for inland navigation transport matters in the Rhine. Four Member States (Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands) and Switzerland are parties to the CCNR.

In 2015, the CCNR approved the creation and functioning of CESNI. Its mission includes the adoption of technical standards in various fields, in particular as regards vessels, information technology and crew, the uniform interpretation of these standards and of the corresponding procedures as well as deliberations on safety of navigation, protection of environment or other areas of navigation. CESNI is composed of experts representing Member States of the CCNR and of the EU which have voting rights on the basis of one vote per State.

The EU is not a party to the CCNR or to CESNI. However, it may participate in the work of CESNI, along with international organisations whose mission covers the areas concerned by CESNI, without voting rights.

The decision establishing the Union position is required to ensure that the EU's interests are adequately taken into account when adopting regulations relating to the establishment of technical standards for inland navigation vessels. These standards are incorporated into EU law in particular under Directive (EU) 2016/1629 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 September 2016 laying down technical requirements for inland waterway vessels, which includes a direct reference to those standards.

EUR-Lex: COM(2017)273: Follow the progress of this proposal through the decision-making procedure http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=COM:2017:273:FIN

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