{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-directive-2009-16/article-18",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-directive-2009-16/article-18.json",
  "legislation": "eudr/2009/16",
  "legislation_title": "Directive 2009/16/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on port State control (Recast) (Text with EEA relevance)",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/eu-directive-2009-16",
  "path": "article/18",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "18",
  "heading": "Complaints",
  "text": "All complaints shall be subject to a rapid initial assessment by the competent authority. This assessment shall make it possible to determine whether a complaint is justified.\nShould that be the case, the competent authority shall take the necessary action on the complaint, in particular, ensuring that anyone directly concerned by that complaint can make their views known.\nWhere the competent authority deems the complaint to be manifestly unfounded, it shall inform the complainant of its decision and of the reasons therefor.\nThe identity of the complainant shall not be revealed to the master or the shipowner of the ship concerned. The inspector shall take appropriate steps to safeguard the confidentiality of complaints made by seafarers, including ensuring confidentiality during any interviews of seafarers.\nMember States shall inform the flag State administration, with a copy to the International Labour Organisation (ILO) if appropriate, of complaints not manifestly unfounded and of follow-up actions taken.",
  "extent": "E+W+S+N.I.",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Substituted by Directive 2013/38/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 August 2013 amending Directive 2009/16/EC on port State control (Text with EEA relevance)."
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudr/2009/16/article/18",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-11-01T15:22:15.239047+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}