OBJECTIVE: the introduction of common and harmonized procedures on the registration of persons
sailing on board of passenger ships.
SUBSTANCE: the proposal for a Council Directive provides for the establishment of a harmonized
system intended to ensure that no passenger ship sailing to or from a Community port is carrying
more than the number of passengers authorized by the relevant safety certificates and to gather
information about the passengers on board in order to facilitate search and rescue operations after
an accident.
In practical terms there is provision that the total number of persons on board a passenger ship
departing from a port inside the Community must be counted prior to departure and the number must
be communicated to the master of the ship, a designated person on shore and, if applicable to the
competent authority. This provision shall apply to all passenger ships, whatever the type of voyage.
With regard to the collection of additional information on passengers for search and rescue
operations, this obligation shall apply to all passenger ships operating out of and into a port in a
Member State and undertaking voyages of more than 20 nautical miles between two ports. Under
certain conditions the Member States may decide to reduce the limit of 20 nautical miles. The
proposal also provides for derogations for very short voyages.
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