RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL AND OF THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES, MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL,

of 19 June 1990

on improving passenger ferry safety

(90/C 206/02)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES AND THE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE GOVERNMENTS OF THE MEMBER STATES, MEETING WITHIN THE COUNCIL,

Aware of:

- the large number of passengers who travel by passenger ferries in European waters,

-the essentially international nature of such operations,

-the necessity of crews being able to function in a satisfactory manner in the event of an emergency,

-the dangers which can arise from management and communication failures,

-the potentially large-scale intervention which could be required in the event of an accident involving a passenger ferry,

-the fact that the transport of passengers in European waters is carried out by vessels registered both inside and outside the Community, thus requiring any necessary improvement of passenger ferry safety, including the question of crewing, to take place in a broad international context;

Wishing to improve the safety of passenger ferries;

CALLS UPON the Member States and the Commission, in their capacity as members or as observer of

(a) the International Maritime Organization of the United Nations,

(b)the memorandum of understanding on port State control,

to press for the urgent identification, elaboration, adoption and implementation of measures which will improve safety of passenger ferries on an international basis in the framework of the aforementioned fora.