The Merchant Shipping (Marine Equipment) Regulations 2025
S.I. 2025/1280 · Made 15 December 2025
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—
- (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”);
- (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”);
- (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
- (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
- 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
- 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
- Part 1: Preliminary
- 1Citation, commencement and extent
- 2Interpretation
- 3Application
- 4Designation of approved and nominated bodies
- Part 2: Requirements for Equipment
- 5Requirements for equipment
- 6Exemptions
- 7Equivalents
- 8Transfer of ship
- Part 3: United Kingdom Conformity Assessment Procedures
- 9Application for United Kingdom conformity approval
- 10United Kingdom conformity approval: obligations of an approved body
- 11Amendments to United Kingdom conformity approval
- 12Declarations of United Kingdom conformity
- 13Affixing the United Kingdom conformity mark
- 14Authorised Representatives
- Part 4: Other Conformity Assessment Procedures
- 15Application for type approval
- 16Type approval: obligations of nominated bodies
- Part 5: Obligations of Economic Operators
- 17Application of Part 5
- 18Additional obligations of a manufacturer
- 19Obligations of an importer and a distributor
- 20Obligations of an economic operator
- Part 6: Enforcement
- 21Restricting, suspending or withdrawing United Kingdom conformity approval
- 22Sample checks
- 23Defective equipment
- 24Offences and penalties
- 25Powers to detain
- Part 7: Miscellaneous
- 26Market Surveillance
- 27Amendment and Revocation of Regulations
- Signature
- Schedule 1: Amendments and revocations
- Part 1: Amendments
- 1Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Crew Accommodation) Regulations 1997
- 2Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection: Small Ships) Regulations 1998
- 3Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Radio Installations) Regulations 1998
- 4Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Life-Saving Appliances for Passenger Ships of Classes III to VI(A)) Regulations 1999
- 5Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Radio) (Fishing Vessels) Regulations 1999
- 6Amendment to the Merchant Shipping and Fishing Vessels (Provision and Use of Work Equipment) Regulations 2006
- 7Amendment to the Legislative and Regulatory Reform (Regulatory Functions) Order 2007
- 8Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships) Regulations 2008
- 9Amendment to the Economic Growth (Regulatory Functions) Order 2017
- 10Amendment to the Radio Equipment Regulations 2017
- 11Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Fees) Regulations 2018
- 12Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Oil Pollution) Regulations 2019
- 13Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Life-Saving Appliances and Arrangements) Regulations 2020
- 14Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Pollution by Sewage from Ships) Regulations 2020
- 15Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Consequential Amendments) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020
- 16Amendment to the Ecodesign for Energy-Related Products and Energy Information (Lighting Products) Regulations 2021
- 17Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Radiocommunications) (Amendment) Regulations 2021
- 18Amendments to the Merchant Shipping (Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments) Regulations 2022
- 19Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Additional Safety Measures for Bulk Carriers) Regulations 2022
- 20Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (High Speed Craft) Regulations 2022
- 21Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Cargo and Passenger Ship Construction and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2023
- 22Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Fire Protection) Regulations 2023
- 23Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Small Workboats and Pilot Boats) Regulations 2023
- 24Amendment to the Treatment of Conformity Assessment Bodies (Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership) Regulations 2024
- 25Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Harmful Substances) (Amendment) Regulations 2024
- 26Amendment to the Merchant Shipping (Carriage of Cargoes) Regulations 2024
- Part 2: Revocations
- 27Revocation of regulations
- Schedule 2: United Kingdom Conformity Assessment Procedures
- Part 1: (Module B)
- 1United Kingdom Conformity Assessment Examination (Module B)
- 2United Kingdom Conformity Assessment Examination (Module B)
- 3United Kingdom Conformity Assessment Examination (Module B)
- 4United Kingdom Conformity Assessment Examination (Module B)
- 5United Kingdom Conformity Assessment Examination (Module B)
- 6United Kingdom Conformity Assessment Examination (Module B)
- 7United Kingdom Conformity Assessment Examination (Module B)
- 8United Kingdom Conformity Assessment Examination (Module B)
- Part 2: (Module D)
- 9Conformity of equipment based on quality assurance of the production process (Module D)
- 10Manufacturing
- 11Quality system
- 12Surveillance under the responsibility of the approved body
- 13United Kingdom conformity marking and declaration of conformity
- 14Authorised representative
- Part 3: (Module E)
- 15Conformity of equipment based on product quality assurance (Module E)
- 16Manufacturing
- 17Quality system
- 18Surveillance under the responsibility of the approved body
- 19United Kingdom conformity marking and declaration of conformity
- 20Authorised representative
- Part 4: (Module F)
- 21Conformity of equipment based on product verification (Module F)
- 22Manufacturing
- 23Verification
- 24Verification of conformity by examination and testing of every product
- 25Statistical verification of conformity
- 26United Kingdom conformity marking and declaration of conformity
- 27Authorised representative
- Part 5: (Module G)
- 28Conformity of equipment based on unit verification (Module G)
- 29Technical documentation
- 30Manufacturing
- 31Verification
- 32United Kingdom conformity marking and declaration of conformity
- 33Authorised representative
- Schedule 3: Approved bodies
- 1Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
- 2Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
- 3Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
- 4Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
- 5Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
- 6Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
- 7Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
- 8Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
- 9Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
- 10Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
- 11Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
- 12Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
- 13Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
- 14Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
- 15Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
- 16Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
- 17Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
- 18Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
- 19Requirements to be met by Conformity Assessment Bodies in order to become Approved Bodies
- Schedule 4: Designation procedure
- 1Application for designation
- 2Designation procedure
- 3Identification numbers and lists of approved bodies
- Schedule 5: United Kingdom Declaration of Conformity
- 1Paragraph 1
- Explanatory note