FINAL REPORT - Stakeholders - Ofcom

carriage requirements for distress and safety radiocommunication equipment depend on
the sea area (A1 to A4) in which the ship is sailing.
Under the SOLAS Convention, every ship, while at sea, must have the facilities for
essential communications, namely:
• transmitting ship-to-shore distress by at least two separate and independent
means;
• receiving shore-to-ship distress alerts;
• transmitting and receiving ship-to-shore distress alerts;
• transmitting and receiving search and rescue co-ordinating communications;
• transmitting and receiving on-scene communications;
• transmitting and, as required, receiving signals for locating;
• transmitting and receiving maritime safety information;
• transmitting and receiving general radiocommunications to and from shore-based
radio systems or networks;
• transmitting and receiving bridge-to-bridge communications.
6.17 Compliance of Maritime Equipment with EU Directives
6.17.1 Marine Equipment Directive
The SOLAS Convention requires that large passenger and large cargo ships carry
specific equipment for distress and safety purposes.
The European Union has adopted the Marine Equipment Directive (96/98/EC, amended
by 98/85/EC, 2001/53/EC and 2002/75/EC) in order to ensure application of obligations
under the SOLAS Convention in the EU member states. The Directive applies to all safety
and distress equipment installed on ships which are subject to IMO carriage requirements
under the SOLAS Convention. The MCA has indicated that any radio, radar or navigation
equipment approved under the Marine Equipment Directive has been entirely acceptable
for use on all UK vessels since 1 January 1999 and will continue to be acceptable for the
foreseeable future. The Directive does not apply to distress and safety equipment at coast
stations.
The Marine Equipment Directive requires that the compliance of equipment with the
requirements of international conventions shall be demonstrated solely in accordance
with the testing standards and conformity procedures referred to in the Directive. In some
cases, the Directive refers to IEC and ETSI standards, in which case the manufacturer
may choose which standard to apply.
Directive 96/98/EC is implemented in the UK by the Merchant Shipping (Marine
Equipment) Regulations 1999. As the equipment does not fall within the scope of the
R&TTE Directive but must meet the requirements of the Marine Equipment Directive,
equipment shall bear the "ship's wheel" marking rather than the CE marking.
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