The EU Directive on Marine Equipment (96/98 EC) entered into force 1 January 1999, latest amended in September 2002 by Commission Directive 2002/75/EC (mandatory from 23 March 2003).
The directive requires that certain marine equipment to be certified and specifies basic requirements to manufacturers as well as products. This conformity assessment procedure applies both to the design and the production phase.
The directive applies to equipment manufactured from 1 January 1999 being placed on board a new or existing ship flying the flag of an EU country or Norway or Iceland (EFTA countries).
The purpose of the Marine Equipment Directive (MED) is to:
Enhance safety at sea and the prevention of marine pollution through uniform application of international instruments (IMO Conventions, Resolutions, Circulars and relevant international testing standards) related to the equipment in question.
Ensure the free movement of equipment within the European Economic Area (EEA), consisting of the EU and EFTA Member States.
DNV has been appointed Notified Body by the Norwegian Authorities within the following equipment categories in the directive:
- Life-saving appliances.
- Marine Pollution Prevention.
- Fire Protection.
- Navigation equipment.
- Radio-communication.
