Strasbourg, 10 April 2018 – The European Committee for drawing up Standards in the field of Inland Navigation (CESNI) met in Strasbourg on Thursday 10 April 2018; the meeting was chaired by Ms Lucia Luijten, representing the Netherlands. Taking part in the discussions were 11 Member States as well as the European Commission and the Sava Commission, and also several organisations approved by CESNI.

Technical requirements for vessels

The explanatory note of the amendments introduced with the European standard laying down technical requirements for inland navigation vessels (ES-TRIN), edition 2017/1, was put online with the Committee’s consent. This summary aims to document the requirements that lay behind these amendments to ES-TRIN as well the consequences associated with the amendments introduced by ES-TRIN 2017/1. The Committee highlighted the benefit of these explanatory notes, which make for transparency of information with participants and public alike.

The Committee also undertook an initial examination of the draft of ES-TRIN 2019/1 which it had received from the Working Group on technical requirements. The main amendments proposed concern in particular automated external defibrillators, firefighting systems, special provisions for electrical propulsion systems (Chapter 11) and various adjustments to the transitional provisions. The Committee decided to include this draft on the agenda of its next meeting (November 2018) for adoption.

Professional qualifications

For the first time, the Committee examined the draft standards in the field of professional qualifications. Drawn up by its working group on professional qualifications and its temporary working groups made up of experts, these standards could be incorporated as delegated acts into directive 2017/2397 on the recognition of professional qualifications in the field of inland navigation. The Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine will also incorporate the standards into its own regulations.

The Committee approved the inclusion of all these draft standards on the agenda of its next meeting for adoption:

Standards for medical fitness

Standards for competences

• standards of competence for the operational level
• standards of competence for the management level
• standards of competence for passenger navigation experts
• standards of competence for sailing on inland waterways with a maritime character
• standards of competence for sailing with the aid of radar
• standards of competence for liquefied natural gas (LNG) experts

Standards for practical examinations

• standards for the practical examination for obtaining a certificate of qualification for sailing with the aid of radar
• standards for the practical examination for obtaining a certificate of qualification as a passenger navigation expert
• standards for the practical examination for obtaining a certificate of qualification as a liquefied natural gas (LNG) expert
• standards for practical examination for obtaining a certificate of qualification as a boatmaster
• standards for the supplementary module on supervision in the context of the  practical examination for obtaining a certificate of qualification as a boatmaster

Standards for the approval of simulators

• standards for technical and functional requirements applicable to vessel-handling simulators in inland navigation
• standards for the administrative procedure for the approval of vessel-handling simulators and radar simulators

Work is continuing within the working group on professional qualifications to develop the various model certificates required to certify the various competencies and skills required.

Work programme

The Committee formally approved its revised 2016-2018 work programme for the section concerning professional qualifications. This revised work programme takes account of the modifications made in the course of the deliberations on the European directive on the recognition of professional qualifications.

Turning now to the future, the Committee invited the States, international organisations and approved organisations to submit their proposed topics for the next work programme (2019-2021). The examination of the proposals was entrusted to the working groups which will meet before the summer and at the end of the summer. Their task will be to draw up a draft work programme to be submitted to the Committee for adoption at its next meeting (November 2018).

For the first time since its creation in 2015, the Committee will meet outside Strasbourg. At the invitation of the Czech delegation, the Committee will meet for the first time on the banks of the Vltava on 8 November 2018, in the premises of the Ministry for Transport of the Czech Republic.

All the CESNI meeting dates are available here:  https://www.cesni.eu/en/evenements/