Product requirements for recreational craft and personal watercraft
Recreational craft and personal watercraft built in or imported into the Netherlands must comply with the statutory product requirements of the Netherlands. If you are a manufacturer or importer, you are responsible for this. The Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) oversees compliance.
This page provides an overview of the product requirements, including those for safety and exhaust emissions. These requirements are derived from the Wet pleziervaartuigen 2016 (Pleasure Craft Act 2016), which is based on the European directive on recreational craft and personal watercraft.
Refer to the Pleasure Craft Act and the European Union (EU) directive to ensure compliance with all regulations.
Which vessels must meet the product requirements?
The Pleasure Craft Act applies to recreational craft with a hull length between 2.5 and 24 metres and personal watercraft up to 4 metres. It does not apply to vessels such as canoes, racing boats, or pedal boats.
Who is responsible?
If you are the manufacturer of a craft that falls under the Pleasure Craft Act, you must ensure it meets the product requirements and have the required documents in order. You are also considered a manufacturer if you put your own brand name on the craft.
If you are importing a craft that falls under the Pleasure Craft Act 2016 into the European Economic Area (EEA) for the first time, you must ensure that both the manufacturer and the craft meet all statutory requirements. The EEA includes the European Union (EU), Norway and Iceland.
Conformity assessment
As a manufacturer, you must demonstrate that the craft meets the product requirements. You must determine the design category for which the craft is suitable. These are the 4 categories listed in Annex 1, section 1 of the European directive on recreational craft and personal watercraft:
Design category
Navigation area
Wind force (Beaufort scale)
Significant wave height (H ⅓, metres)
A
Ocean
exceeding 8
exceeding 4
B
Offshore
up to, and including, 8
up to, and including, 4
C
Inshore
up to, and including, 6
up to, and including, 2
D
Sheltered waters
up to, and including, 4
up to, and including, 0.3
To determine the correct design category, you will need to follow the appropriate conformity assessment modules.
The EU directive on recreational craft and personal watercraft specifies the following conformity assessment modules:
Module A: Internal production control.
Module A1: Internal production control plus supervised product testing.
Module B: EU-type examination.
Module C: Supplementary procedure for type conformity.
Module D: Production quality assurance.
Module E: Production quality assurance.
Module F: Product verification.
Module G: Unit verification.
Module H: Full quality assurance.
For different design categories and hull lengths, various modules are allowed:
Design category
Navigation area
Allowed module
Hull length between 2.5 and 12 m
Hull length between 12 and 24 m
A
Ocean
A1
B + C, D, E or F
G
H
B + C, D, E or F
G
H
B
Offshore
A1
B + C, D, E or F
G
H
B + C, D, E or F
G
H
C
Inshore
A
A1
B, + C, D, E or F
G
H
B+ C, D, E or F
G
H
D
Sheltered waters
A
A1
B + C, D, E or F
G
H
A
A1
B + C, D, E or F
G
H
Depending on the conformity modules you follow, an assessment by an aangemelde keuringsinstantie (notified inspection body) is mandatory. In the Netherlands, you can choose from:
Required documentation, builder’s plate and WIN code
Once you have determined that the craft complies with all product requirements for the chosen design category, you must prepare the required documentation and affix the WIN-code (Watercraft Identification Number, WIN) and a bouwersplaatje (builder’s plate) with the CE marking to the craft.
You must issue an EU-conformiteitsverklaring (EU Declaration of Conformity). This declaration must be issued in Dutch and must include at least the following:
A description of the craft.
Your name and contact details as the manufacturer.
The standards against which the craft has been assessed.
The name of the notified inspection body, if you have engaged one.
The certificate from the notified inspection body, if applicable.
You must prepare a user manual in Dutch or English. This manual must include a copy of the EU Declaration of Conformity and must be provided with each craft.
Ensure that the manual is specific to each individual craft. If you modify a craft, the manual must be updated accordingly.
As a manufacturer, you must create a technical file that demonstrates that the craft complies with the product requirements.
The technical file must include:
A general description of the craft type.
Design and manufacturing drawings and diagrams, including explanations.
Results of design calculations and studies.
Test reports or calculations, particularly regarding stability and buoyancy.
Reports demonstrating compliance with noise and exhaust emission requirements.
A list of standards applied and/or a description of alternative solutions used to meet essential requirements.
Certificates, reports and statements from the notified inspection body, if applicable.
This file must be retained for at least 10 years after the craft is delivered.
Each craft must be assigned a unique WIN or vaartuigidentificatienummer (Craft Identification Number). This WIN consists of 15 characters in the following format: NL-ABC12345A909.
ABC is your manufacturer code, which must be requested from HISWA-RECRON (in Dutch).
12345 is a type/build number that you assign.
A909 refers to the build month (A), build year (9) and model year (09).
The WIN must be applied to the transom of each craft on the starboard side and also in a second, hidden location onboard.
You must affix a builder’s plate to the craft, visible from the helm position. This plate must display the following:
Your name and contact details as the manufacturer.
The CE marking.
The craft's design category.
The maximum load recommended by you as the manufacturer.
The maximum number of persons recommended on board by you as the manufacturer.
Example of a builder’s plate
Uitleg van de nummers in de afbeelding
Name, registered trade name, or registered trademark of the manufacturer.
Contact address of the manufacturer.
Model name of the vessel.
CE marking.
Design category of the vessel: A, B, C, or D.
Maximum recommended number of persons on board as specified by the manufacturer.
Maximum load in kg recommended by the manufacturer.
Maximum outboard engine power in kW.
For engines over 3 kW: maximum mass of the outboard engine(s).
