Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

The Rapporteur welcomes the presentation of the Maritime Safety Package and the revision of the Port State control directive. Ms Tax supports the overall objective of this revision, which is to adapt the EU legislation to revised international regulations while ensuring a level playing field and the competitiveness of EU shipping.

The Rapporteur focused her draft report on a few elements, which require in her view some adjustments.

1) Better consideration of the European Green Deal

Ms. Tax believes that Port State Control can successfully reduce greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Climate neutrality commitment of the EU, while safeguarding the sector's competitiveness and helping incentivize shore-side electricity or any other energy-saving technology, which reduces greenhouse emissions and air pollutants in ports.

Therefore, the rapporteur welcomes the Commission's proposal to make the control regime more responsive to the EU's climate priorities by considering the environmental deficiencies identified during port state inspections and the ship's CO2 emissions index in defining the ship's risk profile.

In her report, the Rapporteur insisted on the contribution Port State Control can make to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in line with the Climate neutrality commitment of the EU. The EU must retain a leading role in the negotiations towards emissions reduction within the IMO framework.

2) Introduction of voluntary Port State controls on fishing vessels over 24 meters

The rapporteur supports this introduction, which promotes compliance with international standards as well as the development of guidelines for carrying out port state inspections on fishing vessels; this will contribute to improve the level of safety aboard these ships, which experience a relatively high level of accidents.

Ms Tax believes such controls should become compulsory as soon as the Cape Town Agreement to enhance fishing enters into force and the relevant EU legislation is updated accordingly.

3) Digitalization and e-certificate

The Rapporteur welcomes the Commission’s proposal that uptake and use of the electronic certificates should be incentivised by their inclusion in the ship risk profile. A widespread use of digital certificates and the linking of database will contribute to more efficient and targeted inspections. More generally, automation and digitalization have significant potential to contribute to decarbonisation and emission reductions, and to foster cooperation between stakeholders

In her report, the Rapporteur calls for investments, research and innovation in the domain of digitalization. Ms Tax highlights that this evolution will require new skills from seafarers and that they should therefore receive adequate training to ensure ships’ safety and operational efficiency.

4) Seafarers welfare

The Rapporteur thinks that Port State control should recognize the detrimental impacts of insufficient rest on ship safety, work performance and occupational health and safety. Training of PSC officers should put more emphasis on the respect of seafarers’ and dockers’ welfare and fundamental rights to decent working and living conditions, in particular through the systematic verification of the work/rest hour records.

The Rapporteur supports in that regards, the Commission’s proposal to develop a professional development and training programme for port State control inspectors, which will contribute to an efficient and harmonized approach to Port State Controls with the support and expertise of EMSA

Finally, the Rapporteur believes that the Commission shall, not later that seven years after the date of entry into force of this amending Directive and every five years thereafter, submit a report to the European Parliament and the Council on implementing, and compliance with, this Directive.