PREVIOUS COMMUNITY LEGISLATION: - Council Recommendation 78/584/CEE of 26 June 1978 on the ratification of conventions on safety in shipping (OJ L 194, 19.7.1978, p. 17). - Council Regulation 91/613/EEC of 4 March 1991 on the transfer of ships from one register to another within the Community (OJ L 68, 15.3.1991, p. 1). - Commission Regulation (EEC) No 2158/1993 of 28 July 1993 concerning the application of amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), 1974, and to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, for the purpose of Council Regulation (EEC) No 613/91 (OJ L 194, 3.8.93, p. 5). - Council Directive 95/21/EC concerning the enforcement, in respect of shipping using Community ports and sailing in the waters under the jurisdiction of the Member States, of international standards for ship safety, pollution prevention and shipboard living and working conditions. PREVIOUS POSITION OF EP: The European Parliament had always emphasised the need to implement all efforts aimed at improving safety at sea and had expressed its concern regarding the lack of respect for the international conventions in this area and the Member States’ delays in ratifying them. See: Resolution on a common policy on safe seas of 11 March 1994 (OJ C 91, 28.3.94) and Resolution on safety at sea of 27 October 1994 (B4-0236/94). SITUATION IN THE MEMBER STATES: The SOLAS Convention did not apply, inter alia, to passenger ships, to cargo vessels that were not the appropriate size and to fishing vessels under 45 m.