Regulation 19 Amendment of the Merchant Shipping (Certification of Marine Engineer Officers and Licensing of Marine Engine Operators) Regulations 1986

in paragraph (1) “paragraphs (2) and (3)” shall be substituted for “paragraph (2)”;

there shall be inserted in paragraph (1)(a) “or certificate of equivalent competency” after “certificate of competency” where those words first appear;

in the tailpiece to paragraph (1) all the words after “Secretary of State” shall be replaced by:

“either—

(i)

in relation to certificates of competency or certificates of equivalent competency or either of such certificates, with a command endorsement in general; or

(ii)

in relation to any of such certificates of a particular class as may be so specified.”;

in paragraph (2) there shall be added “certificate of equivalent competency” after “certificate of competency,”;

there shall be added the following paragraph—

“(3)

(a)

This paragraph applies where, pursuant to regulation 6(2), the Secretary of State has recognised the standard of competence required for the issue of a certificate by an authority of some country outside the United Kingdom as being in part the standard to be obtained for engineer officers qualified for the purposes of these Regulations.

(b)

In such cases any conditions specified by the Secretary of State for the issue of a certificate of equivalent competency shall be limited to—

(i)

an aptitude test for the purpose of assessing the applicant’s ability to pursue the profession of engineer officer on United Kingdom ships, in the light of subjects and training, and related assessment procedures which differ substantially from those covered by the applicant’s equivalent certificate, necessary to pursue that profession;

or,

(ii)

in the case of applicants who are EEA nationals (at the applicant’s option except as provided in Merchant Shipping Notice M. 1558), an adaptation period, as specified by the Secretary of State.”.