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The Merchant Shipping (Marine Equipment) Regulations 2025

S.I. 2025/1280 · Made 15 December 2025

Original text. legislation.gov.uk does not revise statutory instruments, so later amendments are not shown here. Changes made to it are listed under each provision when known.

RETAINED EU LAW REFORM

MERCHANT SHIPPING

Made 15th December 2025

Coming into force 5th January 2026

The Secretary of State, with the consent of the Treasury, makes the following Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by—

  1. (a)

    sections 14(2), (3), (4)(b), (c) and (e) and 20(1)(b) of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023f1 (“the 2023 Act”);

  2. (b)

    sections 85(1), (3)(a), (d), (o), (p) and (q), (5) to (7), 86(1)(a), (b) and (d), 128(5) and (6), 302(1)(a) and (b) and 306A(1), (2) and (3) of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995f2 (“the 1995 Act”);

  3. (c)

    articles 3 and 4(a), (b)(ii), (c), (e) and (f) of the Merchant Shipping (Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments) Order 2022f3; and

  4. (d)

    article 3 of the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Oil Pollution) Order 1983f4.

The Secretary of State is a relevant national authority for the purposes of sections 14(2) and 14(3) of the 2023 Actf5.

In accordance with paragraphs 2(1) to (3) and 5(1) of Schedule 5 to the 2023 Act, a draft of this instrument has been laid before Parliament and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.

In accordance with section 86(4) of the 1995 Act the Secretary of State has consulted the persons referred to in that section.

Annotations to the whole text

Footnotes

f1

2023 c. 28.

f2

1995 c. 21. Section 85(1) was amended by the Merchant Shipping and Maritime Security Act 1997 (c. 28) (the “1997 Act”), section 8(2). Section 85(3) was amended by the 1997 Act, section 8(4). Section 306A was inserted by the Deregulation Act 2015 (c. 20), section 106.

f3

S.I. 2022/629.

f4

S.I. 1983/1106; relevant amending instruments are S.I. 1985/2002, 1991/2885 and 1993/1580.

f5

“Relevant national authority” is defined in section 21(1) of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Act 2023.

Contents

  1. Part 1: Preliminary
  2. 1Citation, commencement and extent
  3. 2Interpretation
  4. 3Application
  5. 4Designation of approved and nominated bodies
  6. Part 2: Requirements for Equipment
  7. 5Requirements for equipment
  8. 6Exemptions
  9. 7Equivalents
  10. 8Transfer of ship
  11. Part 3: United Kingdom Conformity Assessment Procedures
  12. 9Application for United Kingdom conformity approval
  13. 10United Kingdom conformity approval: obligations of an approved body
  14. 11Amendments to United Kingdom conformity approval
  15. 12Declarations of United Kingdom conformity
  16. 13Affixing the United Kingdom conformity mark
  17. 14Authorised Representatives
  18. Part 4: Other Conformity Assessment Procedures
  19. 15Application for type approval
  20. 16Type approval: obligations of nominated bodies
  21. Part 5: Obligations of Economic Operators
  22. 17Application of Part 5
  23. 18Additional obligations of a manufacturer
  24. 19Obligations of an importer and a distributor
  25. 20Obligations of an economic operator
  26. Part 6: Enforcement
  27. 21Restricting, suspending or withdrawing United Kingdom conformity approval
  28. 22Sample checks
  29. 23Defective equipment
  30. 24Offences and penalties
  31. 25Powers to detain
  32. Part 7: Miscellaneous
  33. 26Market Surveillance
  34. 27Amendment and Revocation of Regulations
  35. Signature
  36. Schedule 1: Amendments and revocations
  37. Part 1: Amendments
  38. 1Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Crew Accommodation) Regulations 1997
  39. 2Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection: Small Ships) Regulations 1998
  40. 3Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Radio Installations) Regulations 1998
  41. 4Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Life-Saving Appliances for Passenger Ships of Classes III to VI(A)) Regulations 1999
  42. 5Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Radio) (Fishing Vessels) Regulations 1999
  43. 6Amendment to the Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Provision and Use of Work Equipment) Regulations 2006
  44. 7Amendment to the Legislative and Regulatory Reform (Regulatory Functions) Order 2007
  45. 8Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships) Regulations 2008
  46. 9Amendment to the Economic Growth (Regulatory Functions) Order 2017
  47. 10Amendment to the Radio Equipment Regulations 2017
  48. 11Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Fees) Regulations 2018
  49. 12Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Oil Pollution) Regulations 2019
  50. 13Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Life-Saving Appliances and Arrangements) Regulations 2020
  51. 14Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Pollution by Sewage from Ships) Regulations 2020
  52. 15Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Consequential Amendments) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020
  53. 16Amendment to the Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products and Energy Information (Lighting Products) Regulations 2021
  54. 17Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Radiocommunications) (Amendment) Regulations 2021
  55. 18Amendments to the Merchant Shipping (Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments) Regulations 2022
  56. 19Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Additional Safety Measures for Bulk Carriers) Regulations 2022
  57. 20Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (High Speed Craft) Regulations 2022
  58. 21Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Cargo and Passenger Ship Construction and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2023
  59. 22Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection) Regulations 2023
  60. 23Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Small Workboats and Pilot Boats) Regulations 2023
  61. 24Amendment to the Treatment of Conformity Assessment Bodies (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) Regulations 2024
  62. 25Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Harmful Substances) (Amendment) Regulations 2024
  63. 26Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Carriage of Cargoes) Regulations 2024
  64. Part 2: Revocations
  65. 27Revocation of regulations
  66. Schedule 2: United Kingdom Conformity Assessment Procedures
  67. Part 1: (Module B)
  68. 1United Kingdom Conformity Assessment Examination (Module B)
  69. 2United Kingdom Conformity Assessment Examination (Module B)
  70. 3United Kingdom Conformity Assessment Examination (Module B)
  71. 4United Kingdom Conformity Assessment Examination (Module B)
  72. 5United Kingdom Conformity Assessment Examination (Module B)
  73. 6United Kingdom Conformity Assessment Examination (Module B)
  74. 7United Kingdom Conformity Assessment Examination (Module B)
  75. 8United Kingdom Conformity Assessment Examination (Module B)
  76. Part 2: (Module D)
  77. 9Conformity of equipment based on quality assurance of the production process (Module D)
  78. 10Manufacturing
  79. 11Quality system
  80. 12Surveillance under the responsibility of the approved body
  81. 13United Kingdom conformity marking and declaration of conformity
  82. 14Authorised representative
  83. Part 3: (Module E)
  84. 15Conformity of equipment based on product quality assurance (Module E)
  85. 16Manufacturing
  86. 17Quality system
  87. 18Surveillance under the responsibility of the approved body
  88. 19United Kingdom conformity marking and declaration of conformity
  89. 20Authorised representative
  90. Part 4: (Module F)
  91. 21Conformity of equipment based on product verification (Module F)
  92. 22Manufacturing
  93. 23Verification
  94. 24Verification of conformity by examination and testing of every product
  95. 25Statistical verification of conformity
  96. 26United Kingdom conformity marking and declaration of conformity
  97. 27Authorised representative
  98. Part 5: (Module G)
  99. 28Conformity of equipment based on unit verification (Module G)
  100. 29Technical documentation
  101. 30Manufacturing
  102. 31Verification
  103. 32United Kingdom conformity marking and declaration of conformity
  104. 33Authorised representative
  105. Schedule 3: Approved bodies
  106. 1Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
  107. 2Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
  108. 3Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
  109. 4Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
  110. 5Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
  111. 6Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
  112. 7Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
  113. 8Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
  114. 9Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
  115. 10Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
  116. 11Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
  117. 12Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
  118. 13Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
  119. 14Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
  120. 15Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
  121. 16Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
  122. 17Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
  123. 18Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
  124. 19Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
  125. Schedule 4: Designation procedure
  126. 1Application for designation
  127. 2Designation procedure
  128. 3Identification numbers and lists of approved bodies
  129. Schedule 5: United Kingdom Declaration of Conformity
  130. 1Paragraph 1
  131. Explanatory note