Marine equipment of a safety, or anti-pollution nature (such as lifejackets, fire extinguishers, oily water separators and ships’ radios and radars) installed onboard UK vessels must meet performance and testing standards to ensure it functions as required. Equipment required according to International Maritime Organisation (IMO) conventions is to be of an approved type and in the European Union (EU), this is achieved through Council Directive 96/98/EC2, otherwise known as the Marine Equipment Directive (MED).
Difficulties have been observed in implementing the MED Directive, particularly regarding protection of the EU market against non-compliant and fraudulent equipment and the communication of the applicable testing standards for equipment within the scope of the MED.
Within the UK, obstacles have been experienced with regards to the application and enforcement of the MED due to the impracticalities of using equipment within the scope of the international conventions on certain domestic ships.
The EU has worked to recast the MED by publishing Directive 2014/90/EU3 (“The recast MED”). This new directive seeks to resolve difficulties observed in the existing MED and its provisions come into force on Sunday 18 September 2016.
The consultation on the MED directive seeks to gain input on the proposed measures and analysis of impacts on the UK. Read the the full consultation document: Consultation_Document_Directive_2014-90-EU
Please send responses directly to the MCA by email by Wednesday 6 July 2016
