THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,
Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,
Having regard to Directive 2006/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2006 laying down technical requirements for inland waterway vessels and repealing Council Directive 82/714/EEC(1), and in particular the first sentence of Article 20(1) first subparagraph thereof,
Whereas:
(1) Since the adoption of the Directive 2006/87/EC in December 2006, amendments to the Rhine Vessel Inspection Regulation have been agreed pursuant to Article 22 of the Revised Convention for Rhine Navigation. It is therefore necessary to amend Directive 2006/87/EC accordingly.
(2) It should be ensured that the Community inland navigation certificate and the vessel certificate delivered in accordance with the Rhine Vessel Inspection Regulation are issued on the basis of technical requirements which guarantee an equivalent level of safety.
(3) In order to avoid distortions of competition as well as different levels of safety, the amendments to Directive 2006/87/EC should enter into force as quickly as possible.
(4) Following the adoption of Commission Implementing Decisions 2012/64/EU(2), 2012/65/EU(3) and 2012/66/EU(4) of 2 February 2012 on the approval of three classification societies in accordance with Article 10 of Directive 2006/87/EC the necessary amendments to Annex VII to Directive 2006/87/EC should be made.
(5) The measures provided for in this Directive are in accordance with the opinion of the Committee referred to in Article 7 of Council Directive 91/672/EEC of 16 December 1991 on the reciprocal recognition of national boatmasters’ certificates for the carriage of goods and passengers by inland waterway(5),
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: