MEP David Casa starts work on fishing vessel personnel training standards

MEP David Casa has been appointed rapporteur within the Employment and Social Affairs Committee within the European Parliament. As a rapporteur, MEP David Casa will now be working on a report which deals with the ratification of the ´International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Fishing Vessel Personnel of the International Maritime Organisation (IMO)´.

"This International Convention, which is also referred to as the STCW-F Convention, aims to ensure that the necessary safeguards for the marine environment, as well as for human life and property at sea, are in place", explained Mr Casa.

The IMO had presented the STCW-F Convention in London, which saw the participation of 74 non-EU countries and 22 Member States. It was then adopted on 7 July 1995. However, the Convention came into force on 29th September 2012.

The STCW-F Convention aims to ensure that the personnel on board of fishing vessels are fit and qualified for the job. In other words, the Convention highlights specific training and certification requirements that must be possessed by those working at sea, along with health exams and level of on-board experience. These requirements will only be enforced for those vessels over 24 meters long or longer and of 750kw propulsion power or more. It concerns skippers, officers, engineer officers and radio operators. The Convention also highlights the importance of providing vocational instruction in accordance to certification requirements to avoid individuals' possession of unfair
advantage. With such measures, the Convention is intended to help in eradicating potential threats to the lives and properties of maritime personnel.

EU member states are not allowed to ratify the STCW-F Convention until it has been authorized by the European Union, and those who have already ratified are required to deposit a statement that confirms the prevalence of EU law on the matter.

Since he was re-elected in 2009, MEP Casa has been appointed rapporteur on several dossiers. The role of rapporteur involves the coordination of positions of MEPs from across the political spectrum as well as, in the case of legislative dossiers, the negotiation of the European Parliament position with the European Commission and the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

While the report is yet to be presented, MEP David Casa emphasized the importance of reaching a unified decision: "The convention was brought to the Commission to ensure that the certification requirements for jobs at sea are the same across all EU member states and remain in compliance with European law."