S.I. No. 71/2012 - European Communities (Vessel Traffic Monitoring and Information System) (Amendment) Regulations 2012.

1. These Regulations may be cited as the European Communities (Vessel Traffic Monitoring and Information System) (Amendment) Regulations 2012.

2. Ships engaged on non-international voyages—

(

a

) Passenger ships, irrespective of size, and ships other than passenger ships, of 3000 gross tonnage and upwards and constructed on or after 1 July 2002 engaged on a non-international voyage shall be fitted with a voyage data recorder (VDR) which complies with the technical and performance standards developed in accordance with Chapter V of SOLAS.

(

b

) Cargo ships of 3000 gross tonnage and upwards constructed before 1 July 2002 engaged on a non-international voyage shall be fitted with a voyage data recorder (VDR) or with a simplified voyage data recorder (S-VDR) which complies with the technical and performance standards developed in accordance with Chapter V of SOLAS.”.

GIVEN under my Official Seal,

8 March 2012.

LEO VARADKAR,

Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport.

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Instrument and does not purport to be a legal interpretation.)

These Regulations give effect to Commission Directive 2011/15/EU which amends Directive 2002/59/EC establishing a Community vessel traffic monitoring and information system, as well as some other related matters, by amending the European Communities (Vessel Traffic Monitoring and Information System) Regulations 2010 [

S.I. No. 573 of 2010

].

They provide for the necessary amendments by updating the safety criteria regarding certain oil-tanker products; by substituting a new format in Schedule 3 which deals with voyage data recorder systems; by providing for an extension of the powers of intervention to include assistance, salvage or towage companies in the event of incidents or accidents at sea; by removing an obligation on any company to use SafeSeasIreland or specified electronic means when placing itself at the disposal of the Irish Coast Guard in the event of an incident or accident at sea; and by amending certain references in Regulation 16.

1 OJ No. L 49, 24.2.2011, p. 33

2 OJ No. L 208, 5.8.2002, p. 10

3 OJ No. L 131, 28.5.2009, p. 101

4 OJ No. L 131, 28.5.2009, p. 114

5 OJ No. L 163, 25.6.2009, p. 1.

Notice of the making of this Statutory Instrument was published in

“Iris Oifigiúil” of

13

th March

, 2012.

I, LEO VARADKAR, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in exercise of the powers conferred on me by

section 3

of the

European Communities Act 1972

(No. 27 of 1972) and for the purposes of giving effect to Commission Directive 2011/15/EU of 23 February 2011

1

, hereby make the following regulations