Explanatory note

These Regulations provide for the enforcement of Council Regulation (EC) No 3051/95 on the safety management of ro-ro passenger ferries (“the Council Regulation”) which implements Chapter IX (Management for the Safe Operation of Ships) of the Safety of Life at Sea Convention 1974, as adopted by Assembly of the International Maritime Organisation in 1994, for all classes of ro-ro passenger ferries on services to and from the United Kingdom.

The Regulations make it an offence for companies which operate regular ro-ro passenger ferry services to or from or within the United Kingdom not to comply with Article 4.1 of the Council Regulation (duty to comply with the International Safety Management Code —“the ISM Code”), and provide enforcement powers under which (under Article 7 of the Council Regulation) the operation of the service may be suspended and ships may be detained.

There are ancillary provisions as to offences concerning documents and certificates issued pursuant to the Council Regulation and a general defence to offences under the Regulations.