Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine

Crew and staff

Introduction

The Central Commission has drawn up safety rules for personnel on board vessels sailing the Rhine. These cover the qualifications of personnel, particularly the skills required of boatmasters. They also cover the manning requirements of crews. More recently, the Central Commission also introduced rules for safety personnel on passenger vessels. These provisions have come out of different sets of regulations.

A navigation personnel regulation codifying these various provisions came into force in 2011. The terms of the rules, however, remain unchanged, the new regulation merely constituting a formal restructuring with a view to simplification and clarification.

The regulations are supplemented by instructions for the competent authorities in the Member States.

In order to facilitate access to the Rhine, the CCNR has implemented a policy of recognition of non-Rhine boatmaster certificates that represent equivalent qualifications (see recognition of equivalence of boatmaster certificates).

In the same vein, the CCNR has put in place a procedure for the recognition of non-Rhine service record booklets.

Matters concerning personnel are dealt with by the Committee on social issues, employment and vocational training (STF) (see bodies).

The labour law rules and social security rules applicable to navigation personnel differ from those covered by the abovementioned regulations (for these rules, see legal and social security issues).

Regulations for Rhine navigation personnel

With Resolution 2010-I-8-Annex 1, the Central Commission has adopted the Regulations for Rhine navigation personnel (RPN), which came into force on 1 July 2011.

The Regulations for Rhine navigation personnel includes all the existing Rhine regulations for navigation personnel. The existing regulations were comprised of three sets of regulations, namely:

• Regulations for Rhine navigation personnel, adopted in june 2007,
• Chapter 23 of the Inspection regulations for vessels on the Rhine;
• Regulations for safety personnel on passenger vessels, adopted in December 2004.

These regulations have been replaced by the RPN. Most of the rules, however, remain unchanged, since the new regulation merely constitutes a regulatory restructuring designed to ease the reading of Rhine regulations.

The Regulation is structured as follows:

Title I: General provisions relating to all aspects of the regulation
This section sets out the definitions and general rules governing the adoption of temporary requirements or service instructions.

Title II: Manning requirements
This section sets out the manning requirements (qualifications, rest periods and minimum crew on board), formerly set out in Chapter 23 of the RVBR regulations. It also contains additional requirements applicable to safety personnel required on passenger vessels, previously covered by a separate regulation.

Title III: Navigation licence requirements
This section sets out, in un-amended form, the Rhine navigation licence regulations adopted in June 2007.

These are followed by a number of annexes, mainly containing model certificates and the list of documents issued by non-Member States that have been recognised by the CCNR as valid for the Rhine. The annexes are divided into four sections:

A: Annexes concerning crewing
This contains the model for the log-book (formerly annex E of the RVBR) and the model for the service record booklets (formerly annex F of the RVBR). It should be noted that both models have undergone minor modifications. Annex A5, a new addition, provides a list of the service record booklets issued by non-Member States that have been recognised by the CCNR as valid for the Rhine.

B: Annexes concerning physical and mental fitness
This contains the model medical certificate (formerly annex B2 of the Rhine navigation licence regulations).

C: Annexes concerning safety personnel on passenger vessels
This contains the model certificates for safety personnel required on passenger vessels, formerly included as an annex to the Regulations for safety personnel on passenger vessels. These models have not been modified.

D: Annexes concerning navigation licences
This section contains Rhine navigation licence models (primary navigation licence and radar navigation licence), the model for the sector knowledge certificate, and the list of foreign certificates recognised as equivalents to Rhine navigation licences. These models are also identical to those currently set out in the Rhine navigation licence regulations.

Bodies

The purpose of the STF Committee and its STF/G working group is to deal with issues concerning crewing and professional training. Their areas of responsibility fall into three main categories:

1. Traditional function of updating regulations: tasks connected with the adaptation of rules, concerning the Rhine only.
2. Functions concerning the recognition of navigation qualifications: tasks in connection with the political will to open up the Rhine to the rest of Europe by means of the recognition of boatmaster certificates and service record booklets issued by non-Member States. Here the CCNR works closely alongside observer States and other river commissions. In particular, the CCNR has signed a number of administrative arrangements with the transport ministers of States whose boatmaster certificates have been recognised. The aim of these arrangements is to set up mechanisms for the future cooperation between the competent ministries in these States and the CCNR.
3. Function concerning the development of training and qualifications: tasks in connection with the need to make the profession more attractive and to combat personnel shortages. Here the CCNR not only works with observer States and other river commissions, but also with other international institutions and bodies such as EDINNA or PLATINA. The main issues currently dealt with in this area by the commission and its working group are the adoption of the digital tachograph, streamlining the acquisition of knowledge of sectors and the more generalised use of navigation simulators for boatmaster training.

Committee Chairman: Mrs. AUGUSTIJN van BUUREN, Deputy Commissioner for the Netherlands
Secretariat :Mrs. MOOSBRUGGER

Schedule of meetings

Work programme

Recognition of equivalence of non-Rhine boatmaster certificates

The adoption of Additional Protocol No. 7 on 27 November 2002 amended the Mannheim Convention to permit the recognition of non-Rhine qualifications. This means that holders of recognised boatmaster certificates or radar certificates can now operate on the Rhine, which should simplify professional obligations and contribute to the development of a large European inland navigation market.

The CCNR adopted its first decisions on the recognition of non-Rhine boatman’s certificates in 2008. Since then, the CCNR has recognised the national certificates of seven European States that are not CCNR members and those of three CCNR member States. An exact list of the recognised boatman’s certificates and certificates of fitness for navigating using radar is given in the tables below; the list is updated regularly.

Administrative arrangements were also entered into between the CCNR and the relevant States in order to establish the principle and methods of cooperation between both parties. Mutual recognition of boatmaster certificates and radar certificates is to be accompanied by mechanisms for administrative cooperation between the Rhine authorities and the authorities of the States whose certificates are recognised, in order to guarantee the equivalence in duration of the relevant certificates, develop common practices, and also implement reliable information exchange systems. To this end, the agreement makes provision for the organisation of joint meetings, and sets up mechanisms to transfer information between the various competent authorities.

National boatman’s certificates recognised as valid for navigation on the Rhine, possibly subject to additional conditions

The CCNR has recognised a certain number of national boatman’s certificates as being equivalent to the “Grande Patente du Rhin”. Additional conditions are sometimes imposed to ensure the validity of these certificates on the Rhine. These conditions mainly cover the sector knowledge required on the Rhine, and renewal of the physical and mental fitness certificate, as attested by additional documents which must be presented at the same time as the national certificate.

^*) Temporary requirements from 1.10.2011 to 30.09.2014

National certificates of fitness for navigating using radar recognised as valid for navigation on the Rhine, possibly subject to additional conditions

The CCNR has recognised a certain number of national certificates of fitness for navigating using radar as being equivalent to the "Patente Radar du Rhin".

Recognition of equivalence for service record books

The service record book enables the boatman to attest his physical and mental fitness, his experience in navigation, and his qualification.

The Rhine service record book is issued by the competent authorities of any CCNR member State. Up to 1 July 2011, all boatmen were required to hold a Rhine service record book to be able to work on the Rhine.

However, the Czech Republic, Poland and many of the Danube States issued service record books in a format similar to that of the Rhine service record book, and it was therefore thought to be worth recognising the validity of the non-Rhine service record books on the Rhine.

On 8 December 2010, the CCNR and the competent ministries of seven central European States (Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and the Czech Republic) signed a multilateral Administrative Arrangement, according to which the signatories agreed to recognise the service record books issued by their respective competent authorities. The Arrangement came into force on the Rhine and throughout the territories of the seven States on 1 July 2011.

All the service record books recognised by virtue of the Arrangement have a similar format.

• They contain a section reserved for an entry on the boatman’s physical and mental fitness, which must be completed by the issuing authority, but the indications are recognised as being valid on all the waterways covered by the Arrangement.
• The service record books also contain a section reserved for a listing of the journeys undertaken. This section is filled in by the vessel’s captain and must be presented to a competent authority for initialling every year. By virtue of the Administrative Arrangement, any competent authority, whether in a CNNR member State or in one of the States signatory to the Arrangement, may stamp the document to authenticate the information on journeys carried out. In this way, the number of years of experience accumulated by the boatman is established in an unquestionable fashion. On the basis of this, the boatman may claim a particular level of qualification.
• The service record books also contain a section reserved for the boatman’s qualifications. All service record books covered by mutual recognition contain a page reserved for the listing of qualifications obtained in compliance with Rhine regulations. Currently, this page may only be filled in by a competent Rhine authority and the qualification listed on this page is the only qualification valid on the Rhine. To list the qualification in compliance with Rhine regulations, the competent Rhine authority takes account of the number of years of experience the boatman has, as attested by his service record book in the section described above.

This means that, since 1 July 2011, boatmen no longer have to obtain a new service record book each time they change country. They are now able to present their original service record book, as the indications shown in it concerning their physical and mental fitness and their navigation experience are valid throughout the area covered by the Arrangement.

The scope of application of the Application will probably be extended to the Moselle in the near future further to a decision on the part of the Moselle Commission.

This should go a long way to simplifying the administrative procedures imposed on European boatmen, and facilitate their access to the entire European network. Signature of the Arrangement therefore constitutes an important stage in the harmonisation of the documents required for inland navigation in Europe.

A Secretariat has been set up for the Arrangement; it is provided by the CCNR Secretariat (Ms Moosbrugger). It supplies the logistics necessary for organising joint meetings, facilitates exchanges among the contracting Administrations, manages this Internet page, and carries out any other tasks necessary for ensuring the proper functioning of the Arrangement.

Documents

List of Examination Commissions

Conference of the Examination Commissions

Conference of the Patent Examination Commissions of the member states of the Central Commission for the Navigation of the Rhine in Berlin on 10 November 2011