Guidelines on protection of health, repatriation and travel arrangements for seafarers, passengers and other persons on board ships
Summary
• The COVID-19 pandemic has far-reaching effects on maritime transport and persons on board ships. The Guidelines for border management measures to protect health and ensure the availability of goods and essential services state that Member States should facilitate the transit of EU citizens and third-country nationals who are EU residents for their return home. Workers in essential functions, regardless of their
nationality, should be able to transit and travel to ensure continued professional activity.
• Persons on board of ships should be able to undertake essential travel. EU citizens stranded in Member States other than that of their nationality or residence, in third countries or on the High Seas should be able to return home, if their health status permits.3 It is the primary responsibility of cruise ship operators and shipowners to arrange for the return of persons on board, regardless of whether disembarkation takes place within or outside the EU.
• Many seafarers on cargo vessels operating in European waters are third country nationals. Regardless of their nationality, they should be able to travel to the ports where they need to embark and be allowed to disembark and return home, which would also contribute to ensuring that the sector remains operational in the medium and long term, as confirmed by the Communication on the implementation of the Green Lanes. Only when crew changes are possible can maritime transport continue
uninterrupted, safeguarding the internal market by distributing goods across the EU and enabling export and import of cargo from and to EU ports. Therefore, Member States should designate ports, where crew changes are facilitated.
• There are roughly 600,000 seafarers of all nationalities serving on board EU interests ships worldwide. The International Maritime Organization recommends that crew changeovers should be possible around the globe.5 To ensure the continuity and safety of maritime transport, the Commission is taking steps to facilitate and coordinate the efforts of Member States to enable crew changes in their ports.
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https://ec.europa.eu/transport/sites/transport/files/legislation/c20203100.pdf