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Safety and Environment in EU Maritime Transport

The European Union has taken a leading role in strengthening maritime safety laws and raising environmental protection standards. The goal is to:

  • Eliminate substandard shipping,
  • Ensure fair competition,
  • Protect passengers, crew, and the marine environment,
  • Enforce harmonized application of international rules across Member States.


Strategic Importance

  • EU ports handle 2 billion tonnes of cargo and 1 billion tonnes of oil annually.
  • High standards are crucial to prevent accidents and reduce pollution risks, particularly for oil tankers.


International Cooperation

EU law reinforces and builds upon key international conventions developed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO):
  • SOLAS: Safety of Life at Sea
  • MARPOL: Prevention of Marine Pollution

Through transposition into EU law, these conventions are uniformly enforced across all EU Member States.

EU Actions on Safety and Environment Protection

Classification Societies
Classification societies play a crucial role in ensuring the structural integrity and operational safety of ships. The EU has established a framework to recognise only those organisations that meet strict technical and professional standards. These “Recognised Organisations” are authorised to conduct inspections and issue ship certificates on behalf of Member States. This chapter presents the EU’s legal framework for the recognition, performance monitoring, and accountability of these bodies, reinforcing global standards and safety oversight across EU waters.

Vessel Traffic Monitoring and Maritime Surveillance
With increasing maritime traffic in European waters, monitoring and surveillance are vital for accident prevention and environmental protection. The EU has introduced legislation to establish a comprehensive vessel traffic monitoring system and digital reporting formalities. These measures enhance situational awareness, ensure swift emergency response, and support better coordination across Member States' authorities and ports.

Port State Control (PSC)
Port State Control serves as a safeguard to prevent substandard vessels from operating in EU waters. By inspecting foreign-flagged ships in EU ports, authorities can enforce compliance with international safety, labour, and environmental standards. The EU’s PSC regime is among the most rigorous globally, supported by harmonised inspection procedures and risk-based targeting under the Paris MoU.

Maritime Accident Investigation
When maritime accidents occur, learning from them is essential to prevent recurrence. EU law mandates independent technical investigations into serious maritime incidents, regardless of liability. This framework ensures consistency in reporting, transparency in analysis, and the development of effective safety recommendations across the Union.

Insurance for Maritime Claims and Liability
To promote responsibility and financial accountability in the shipping sector, the EU has introduced rules requiring mandatory insurance for maritime claims. These rules aim to ensure that shipowners are prepared to cover damages related to oil pollution, hazardous substances, or personal injury. This chapter outlines the EU framework and its alignment with international conventions on maritime liability.

Ship-Source Pollution
Preventing marine pollution from ships is a core environmental priority for the EU. The legislation covered in this chapter targets illegal discharges, mandates emissions monitoring, and strengthens enforcement capabilities. The EU also supports preventive actions such as double-hull tanker requirements and coordinated responses to pollution from ships and offshore installations.

Port Reception Facilities
The proper management of waste generated by ships is essential to reduce pollution in European seas. This chapter presents the EU’s legislative approach to ensure that all ports provide adequate facilities for waste reception. It also details requirements for mandatory delivery of ship waste and measures to eliminate disincentives for proper disposal.

Marine Equipment
The safety of marine operations depends in part on the quality and reliability of onboard equipment. EU law sets harmonised requirements for marine equipment used on EU-flagged vessels, ensuring conformity with international standards. This section addresses the approval, certification, and traceability of marine equipment and includes initiatives like electronic tagging to enhance compliance and surveillance.

Seafarers
The competence and working conditions of seafarers are fundamental to maritime safety. The EU supports a framework for the training, certification, and mutual recognition of seafarers, aligned with international standards such as the STCW Convention. This chapter also includes provisions for pilotage and the mobility of maritime professionals within the EU.

EMSA
EMSA is the EU's technical body supporting maritime safety, environmental protection, and response to pollution. This chapter introduces the regulation that defines EMSA’s mandate, which includes assisting Member States and the Commission in the implementation and enforcement of EU maritime legislation.

Committee on Safe Seas and the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (COSS)
COSS ensures regulatory coherence in the EU maritime safety framework by overseeing the technical adaptation and uniform implementation of maritime safety rules. This committee plays a central role in aligning EU legislation with international standards and addressing regulatory updates through delegated powers.

EU Actions on Safety and Environment Protection

The European Commission conducted a comprehensive Maritime Transport Fitness Check, completed in May 2018, to evaluate the effectiveness of EU legislation related to maritime safety and environmental protection. This assessment focused on key areas including flag State responsibilities, accident investigation, port State control, vessel traffic monitoring, and reporting formalities for ships.

The Fitness Check aimed to assess whether the existing legislative framework effectively supports safe, secure, and sustainable maritime transport within the EU. It examined the coherence and combined effects of individual directives, evaluating the roles of Member States as flag States, port States, and coastal States.


Key Findings
  • The evaluation concluded that the current legislative framework has significantly contributed to enhancing maritime safety, security, and sustainability.
  • Harmonized implementation of international rules and conventions across Member States has established a level playing field in the maritime sector.
  • The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) plays a vital role in supporting Member States to fulfill their obligations effectively.
  • However, the Fitness Check identified shortcomings in the simplification of reporting formalities, indicating a need for revising relevant legislation to reduce administrative burdens on maritime operators.

Recommendations
  • Maintain and strengthen the existing legislative framework to continue supporting maritime safety and environmental protection.
  • Enhance support for Member States through EMSA to ensure consistent implementation and enforcement of maritime regulations.
  • Address the inefficiencies in reporting formalities by revising legislation to streamline processes and reduce administrative burdens.
All documents

Passenger Ship Safety in the EU

Passenger ships are essential to the mobility of EU citizens, with over 400 million passengers transiting through EU ports annually. Following tragic accidents such as the Herald of Free Enterprise (1987) and the Estonia (1994), the EU developed a comprehensive safety framework that complements international standards and improves ship design, emergency preparedness, and data handling during emergencies.

Review of EU Rules on Passenger Ship Safety

A major legislative reform was adopted in October 2017, following a Fitness Check under the REFIT programme. The goal was to update and simplify EU passenger ship safety rules, making them more effective and aligned with technological developments.
Key outcomes of the reform include:
  • Directive (EU) 2017/2108: Amends Directive 2009/45/EC to clarify technical safety standards for passenger ships, including new requirements for ships built with aluminium.
  • Directive (EU) 2017/2109: Updates Directive 98/41/EC by mandating digital registration of passenger data and faster reporting (within 15 minutes of departure).
  • Directive (EU) 2017/2110: Replaces Directive 1999/35/EC to streamline inspection regimes for passenger ferries and high-speed craft.
These rules came into application on 21 December 2019.

Small Passenger Ships

For the first time, a common EU safety framework was introduced for passenger ships under 24 metres in length. On 9 April 2019, the Council adopted a Recommendation (2019/C 142/01) defining non-binding safety goals and functional requirements related to ship design, emergency preparedness, and fire safety.
This initiative supports harmonised safety standards and opens the EU market to manufacturers and operators of small passenger ships.

Passenger Liability Regulation

Regulation (EC) No 392/2009 establishes harmonised rules on passenger compensation in the event of a maritime accident, including death, personal injury, or loss of property. It applies to both international and certain types of domestic carriage.
Passengers may claim compensation if:
  • The ship is flagged or registered in an EU Member State;
  • The carriage agreement was concluded in an EU Member State;
  • The departure or destination is in an EU Member State.
The Regulation enforces mandatory insurance for shipowners and relies on flag State and port State control to ensure compliance. An ex-post evaluation completed in 2017 concluded that the Regulation was effective and did not require changes.

Fitness Check and REFIT Process

In 2015, the Commission completed a Fitness Check – “Adjusting Course” of the EU passenger ship safety legislation. It found that while the framework was generally effective, there was scope for:
  • Simplifying legislation,
  • Enhancing implementation,
  • Modernising inspection rules,
  • Introducing performance-based requirements for small ships.

Key outputs:
Consultations and Next Steps

The Commission conducted multiple consultations:
Next, the Commission will explore whether EU stability requirements for ro-ro passenger ships should be aligned with IMO standards adopted in June 2017.