Proposal for a Decision on the position to be taken within the European Committee for Drawing up Standards in the Field of Inland Navigation and in the Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine

Summary:

Proposal presented on 3 July 2019 by the European Commission establishing the position to be taken on behalf of the Union regarding the adoption of models in the field of professional qualifications in inland navigation.

Further information:

At its meeting of 11 April 2019, the European committee for drawing up common standards in the field of inland navigation (CESNI) decided to schedule the adoption of standards for the models used in the field of professional qualifications in inland navigation for its next meeting, planned for 15 October 2019.

The CESNI standards are to be incorporated into EU law in accordance with Directive (EU) 2017/2397, which lays down the conditions and procedures for the certification of the qualifications of persons involved in the operation of a craft navigating on Union inland waterways, as well as for the recognition of such qualifications in the Member States.

Therefore, establishment of the Union position is required in order to ensure that EU interests are adequately taken into account when the standards establishing models in the field of professional qualifications in inland navigation are adopted.

Background:

The Convention for Navigation on the Rhine defines the legal framework governing the use of the Rhine as an inland waterway for navigation and sets out the responsibilities of the Central Commission for Navigation on the Rhine (CCNR). The version of the Convention that is currently applicable is the Convention of 20 November 1963 , which entered into force on 14 April 1967. At present, four EU Member States (Belgium, France, Germany and the Netherlands) and Switzerland are parties to the revised Convention.

In 2015, the CCNR adopted a resolution creating a European committee for drawing up common standards in the field of inland navigation (Comité Européen pour l’Élaboration de Standards dans le Domaine de Navigation Intérieure — CESNI). The EU is not a member of CESNI, but may participate in its work without having voting rights.