COMMUNITY MEASURE : Commission Directive 2003/75/EC amending Annex I to Council Directive 98/18/EC on safety rules and standards for passenger ships.
CONTENT : Council Directive 98/18/EC on safety rules and standards for passenger ships applies to new and existing ships on domestic service according to the requirements of Annex I.
Chapter III, section 5-1 of Annex I to Directive 98/18/EC required modification to life-rafts, fast rescue boats, means of rescue and life jackets on existing ro-ro ships not later than the date of the first periodical survey after 1 July 2000.
Commission Directive 2002/25/EC of 5 March 2002 amending Council Directive 98/18/EC on safety rules and standards for passenger ships required further modification of the same equipment by 1 January 2003.
The corresponding SOLAS requirement allows for modifications of existing ships to take place at the time of major repairs, alterations or replacement of life-saving equipment.
Directive 98/18/EC should therefore be amended to allow a reasonable deadline for applying these specific new requirements to existing ro-ro ships.
ENTRY INTO FORCE : 30/07/2003.
IMPLEMENTATION : 30/01/2004.�