BRUSSELS, BELGIUM/ Pleasure boats must be less harmful for the environment, said the Europan Union. In this regard, the EU will put into force new legislation.

Studies show lakes and seashores can be seriously polluted by the concentration of nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions resulting from some six million jet skis and motor and sailing boats cruising in the EU.

Strong review

To make the new changes, was done a revision to the Recreational Craft Directive (RCD). Now has been set stricter limits for NOx, hydrocarbons (HC) and particulate matters for new recreational crafts.

The proposal will also improve market surveillance by updating the rules on CE marking. From now on is required that Member States will have to ensure that adequate checks are performed both at the EU external borders and within the Union itself. Visits at the premises of economic operators are going to be done.

Controls will guarantee the immediate prohibition and confiscation of non conform recreational boats. Antonio Tajani, responsible for Industry and Entrepreneurship in the European Union, said that “The fact that recreational boats are becoming more sustainable, will not only benefit our health and the preservation of the marine environment, but also improve the quality of holiday resorts and boost job creation in the tourism industry.”

The reason

In the European Union is the Recreational Craft Directive who is responsible to establish control over recreational craft (motor boats, sailing boats etc), personal watercraft (jet skis), their engines and the components which are not used for commercial purposes. 

The law makes requirements on safety and puts limits for exhaust and noise emissions from marine propulsion engines, responsibility that relapses on producers and importers of boats, who are in need to respect essential conditions.

The proposal is intended to clarify some safety requirements. In particular, new habitable multihull craft should be so designed that they cannot invert or must have sufficient buoyancy to remain afloat in the inverted position.

Leisure ships

This industry is strong both in the EU and the US: the vast majority of recreational craft manufacturers (RCD) is active on the EU market and the US market and two thirds of worldwide sales of recreational marine engines are produced at both markets.

For example, currently US legislation regulating the exhaust emissions is stricter than the EU rules. In order to protect the environment EU Member States have undertaken efforts to reduce emissions from recreational craft by resorting to (national) measures for speed limits or ban of boats in specific areas.

The topic must be taken under control while approximately 6 millions of recreational crafts are in use in Europe, involving some 37 000 companies which represent a wide range of activities such as marinas, boat builders, engine or marine equipment manufacturers, hire charter and sailing schools, marine solicitors, insurance brokers etc. It is a sector which is gradually recovering from the economic crisis directly employs today some 272 000 workers.HolaVerde.Com