A Member State may afford a ship which is entitled to fly its flag the benefits of the near-coastal voyage provisions of this Directive when it is regularly engaged off the coast of a non-Party to the STCW Convention on near-coastal voyages as defined by that Member State.
The purpose of this Directive is to introduce a uniform level of safety of life and property on new and existing passenger ships and high-speed passenger craft, when both categories of ships and craft are engaged on domestic voyages, and to lay down procedures for negotiation at international level with a view to a harmonisation of the rules for passenger ships engaged on international voyages.
