Legislation
Seagoing vessels sailing under a foreign flag must comply with international laws and regulations such as SOLAS, MARPOL, ILO, and so on.
Port State Control inspections will be conducted based on the Dutch Port State Control Act, in turn based on European Directive 2009/16/EC.
In Europe, Port State Control inspections are conducted within the framework of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (PMOU).
Directive 2009/17/EG: Obligations European Member States
Directive 2009/17/EC lays down provisions concerning the way in which the Netherlands and other Member States are to pass on information to the European SafeSeaNet. In 2010, the Directorate-General of Civil Aviation and Maritime Affairs of the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management designated the Directorate for Public Works and Water Management (RWS) as the National Competent Authority (NCA) for the Dutch SafeSeaNet. This means that RWS facilitates the development and implementation of the Dutch SafeSeaNet and is responsible for the exchange and management of maritime information.
Directive 2009/16/EG: Database THETIS
As of 1 January 2011, information in the SafeSeaNet is also used for vessel inspections, as laid down in Directive 2009/16/EC. The exchange of SafeSeaNet information (European countries) and information from Canadian and Russian systems takes place through the THETIS database. This has been agreed at the international level in the Paris MoU.
The New Inspection Regime has also been ratified in Directive 2009/16/EC.
For further information, please refer to the directives below.
Questions about the directives can be addressed to: Email RWS/SVC: NCA-SSN-NL.admin@rws.nl.