EU strikes deal for more efficient accident investigations in maritime transport
Ship - Photo by Vince Smith
(BRUSSELS) - The EU Parliament and Council reached a provisional agreement Tuesday to revise a 2009 directive on the investigation of accidents in the maritime transport sector.
The revised directive, part of the so-called 'maritime safety' legislative package, looks to simplify the existing regime governing investigation of accidents in maritime transport. The extension of its scope to include larger fishing vessels, together with other changes concerning such vessels in the closely related port state control and flag state requirements directives, will improve the safety of fishing vessels in European waters.
Specifically, the new directive aims to:
- improve the protection of fishing vessels, crews and the environment, with fishing vessels more than 15 metres in length now included within the scope of the directive, meaning that accidents involving fatalities and loss of vessels will be investigated in a systematic and harmonised way
- clarify the definitions and the legal provisions so that member states' accident investigation bodies investigate all accidents that need to be investigated in a timely and harmonised manner
- enhance the capacity of accident investigation bodies to conduct and report on accident investigations in a timely, expert, and independent manner
- update several definitions and references to relevant EU legislation and IMO regulations, to ensure clarity and consistency.
Several amendments to the Commission';s proposal were introduced to the text, mainly aiming to enable accident investigation bodies to conduct accident investigations in a harmonised way throughout the EU by making the existing rules clearer and more consistent with international regulations. Other amendments aim to strengthen the provisions regarding the independence of accident investigation bodies and the confidentiality of their findings, and to reduce unnecessary administrative burdens.
The provisional agreement covers the following aspects:
- alignment with the IMO casualty investigation code on the obligation to inform maritime security authorities if the accident investigation body suspects that an offence has been committed
- provisions related to the conformity check were adjusted in line with several other pieces of EU maritime legislation, such as the maritime equipment directive
- a voluntary approach regarding the quality management system for national investigation authorities accompanied by guidance for its implementation
- a 2-month deadline was introduced for the preliminary assessment in case of accidents involving smaller fishing vessels.
The agreed provisional agreement now has to be endorsed by both co-legislators before final adoption of the legislative act. EU member states will have 30 months after the entry into force of the revised directive to transpose its provisions in their national legislation.
Revised directive on maritime accidents investigation, Council general approach, 4 December 2023