There is a brand new Recreational Craft Directive (RCD) applicable from the 18th January 2016.
After this date the old Recreational Craft Directive 94/25/EC (which was amended to become 2003/44/EC) will be repealed. There is a further one year transitional period whereby certificates to both Directives will be accepted (until 18th January 2017) and there is also an extra period (till 18th January 2020) for small and medium sized enterprises to comply with stage 1.
In order to prepare for the new Recreational Craft Directive, ICOMIA and the European Boating Industry (EBI) collaborated on creating a comprehensive guide whereby all the key changes to the Essential Requirements were highlighted and various informative links to further resources included. The guide is aimed at those manufacturers, distributors, importers (private and commercial) who intend to place recreational craft, marine engines and components as well as personal watercraft on the EU market (including Iceland, Norway and Switzerland).
It also contains useful information for the end user who is often unaware of the processes involved in conforming to EU regulations. The guide is available for free in pdf format as well an Apple iPad app for purchase and includes a ‘quick check version’ to check formal compliance, useful for distributors or buyers, and a ‘long guide’ which provides detailed information.