The Council incorporated certain amendments by the European Parliament, such as those stating that certificates were optional after 18 years of age and that the limitation on the validity of the certificate referred to the category of boat. However, the Council did not incorporate editorial amendments or amendments relating to Annex II specifying the knowledge required in order to obtain a boatmaster's certificate.
The common position largely corresponds to the Commission's initial proposal. However, it does contain major amendments seeking to:
- exclude waterways to which the Rhine navigation licence applies from the scope of the directive;
- postpone the date by which certificates must be issued (18 months after the entry into force of the directive)
- introduce limits regarding size and the number of passengers carried in order to exempt small boats from the directive;
- reword the provisions regarding minimum age so as to enable Member States which issue boatmasters' certificates to persons aged 18 years and upwards to refuse to permit young skippers between 18 and 21 years of age from another Member State from carrying on the occupation of boatmaster in their territory;
- increase the maximum reduction in the duration of professional experience required to three years;
- require boatmasters aged 65 and over to undergo an annual medical examination for safety reasons;
- replace the term "carnet de bord" by "livret de service" (does not affect the English version);
- delete Article 9 on the transport of dangerous substances and article 11 on the withdrawal of or refusal to issue certificates;
- add an article covering the transportation of passengers where either the boatmaster or another member of the crew must be in possession of a special certificate as proof of his/her having passed an examination of professional knowledge in the subjects referred to in Chapter C of the Annex.�