Legislative Observatory
European Parliament
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Reporting formalities for ships arriving in and/or departing from ports of the Member States

2009/0005(COD)

The Council adopted conclusions which support the objective of extending the internal market to sea transport between ports located in the EU, by simplifying, and speeding up through, inter alia, the use of IT, administrative procedures in intra-EU maritime transport, aiming to make it more attractive, more efficient and more competitive.

In this context, the Council welcomes the Commission’s proposal for a Directive aiming at rationalising vessel-related and goods-related reporting and forms required by maritime transport directives and replacing Directive 2002/6/EC on reporting formalities for vessels arriving in and/or departing from ports. It undertakes to give it proper priority within the legislative work programme to further rationalise administrative procedures for vessels arriving at and departing from EU ports by making compatible IMO/FAL requirements and Community regulations.

The conclusions stress the need to facilitate transport by sea by reaching a level of fully IT­‑ based communications, including to enhance electronic data transmission, on the basis of existing or established systems, through the development of e-Maritime systems and single electronic window solutions, providing, where appropriate, Community funding support within the ceilings of the present and upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework.

The Council supports the Commission in improving the management and development of the central SafeSeaNet system at policy level, considering the possibility of processing port information through SafeSeaNet. The Commission and Member States should organise a rational distribution of information regarding ships and goods through interoperable SafeSeaNet and e-Customs systems.

Moreover, Member States should – as far as possible – coordinate inspections in ports and study the possibility of establishing separation areas for intra-EU goods, improve use of electronic manifests, and, where appropriate, the use of Pilot Exemption Certificates, and to further facilitate administrative communication by reducing language barriers.

The Council further underlines the need to take initiatives, together with third countries, at the appropriate international bodies to reduce administrative barriers for international maritime transport, with the aim of levelling the playing field for maritime transport.

The Commission is called upon to:

  • study the possibility of simplified administrative procedures for vessels sailing mainly between EU ports and having a call in a third country or a free zone, while maintaining high anti-fraud and anti-counterfeit standards;
  • present, as soon as possible, the future vision for the implementation and correlation between modern information based initiatives, such as e‑Freight, e‑maritime, SafeSeaNet and e‑Customs;
  • monitor the progress made in the establishment of the European maritime transport space without barriers, and to present remedial action if needed, at the latest in the regular report on Short Sea Shipping scheduled for 2012.