Scillonian III given regulatory 'green light' by Brussels

Scilly Today reports that transport regulators in Brussels have given the green light for the Scillonian III to continue operating on routes between the mainland and Scilly.  

Safety modifications agreed by the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency and the Steamship Company have brought the 37-year old vessel in line with European Union law, the Commission said in a statement.

You can read the Scilly Today item here.


Comment.  

The EU Directive 98/18/EC which adopted the IMO/SOLAS internationally agreed safety recommendations for passenger ships, became UK law in Oct 2000 (SI 2000/ 2687) and applied to the Scillonian III from 1st July 2009.   The vessel has been in a 'regulatory limbo' since 2009 with the MCA issuing certificates but the certificates not fully complying with EU Directive 98/18/ec or UK SI 2000/2687 (the UK legislation requires compliance with the EU Directive).  The recent agreement between the UK Govt (represented by the MCA) and the EU and modifications carried out by the operator have 'regularized' the situation. 

The MCA told FRIST in a letter dated 18 Dec 2012 that "certificates had been issued on the basis that the vessel was going to be replaced.  When it became clear that the vessel was not going to be replaced further work was required to make the vessel compliant with Directive 1998/18/ec (recast as 2008/45/eu as amended)".  The announcement from Brussels indicates that work is now complete.