4. The 2009 Regulation does not apply to any ship engaged in the carriage of passengers by sea solely within the United Kingdom unless—
(a)the ship is a Class A ship(1) and the carriage takes place after 30th December 2016; or
(b)the ship is a Class B ship and the carriage takes place after 30th December 2018.
The 2009 Regulation refers to the ship classifications set out article 4 of Council Directive 98/18/EC on safety rules and standards for passenger ships (O.J. L 144, 15.5.1998, p.1). This operates as a reference to article 4(1) of Directive 2009/45/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on safety rules and standards for passenger ships (O.J. L 163, 25.6.2009, p.1) by virtue of article 17 of that Directive. Under the Directive ships are classified by reference to the sea areas in which they operate.