ICOMIA release a final report on the Recreational Craft Directive 2013/53/EU carried out by Panteia, TNO and Emisia

Published on: 04 November 2021

ICOMIAhave released the 'Review Study on the Recreational Craft Directive 2013/53/EU'. This is the final report carried out byPanteia, TNOandEmisiaon behalf of the EU Commissionin terms of the RCD Review 2022 process and can be downloaded by British Marine members through the British Marine website publication page.

This report has been created in line with the review clause set out inArticle 52of the Directive 2013/53/EUwhich requires the European Commission (EC) to submit a report to the European Parliament and the Council by 18 January 2022.

The specific objectives of the study are:

• To quantify the share of exhaust emissions produced by recreational marine engines in the EU, compared to exhaust emissions produced in related sectors in the EU.
• To find out if it is technically feasible and cost-beneficial to further reduce the emissions of pollutants from marine propulsion engines (nitrogen oxides NOx, hydrocarbons HC, particulates PT and carbon monoxide CO), the cost efficiency of those approaches and/or technologies, and the need to agree globally harmonised values for the sector have to be taken into account.
• To find out if other engine testing procedures listed in the Directive 2013/53/EU would be more appropriate for the recreational marine propulsion engines, including hybrid installations as well as if these procedures would better contribute to reduction of pollutants' emissions
• To list the possible options of further reduction of exhaust emissions from recreational marine propulsion engines.
• To access the possibility to set out requirements on evaporative emissions and fuel systems. To list possible options and accompany them by cost/benefit analysis.
• To assess the adequacy and impact of the current specification of watercraft design categories (based on combination of resistance to wind force and to significant wave height) on manufacturers and end-users.
• To assess the need to introduce further specifications, eventually to introduce further subdivision of the current design categories. Potential options to modify current specification of watercraft design categories are accompanied by cost/benefit analysis.

As a part of the approach to collect information to draft the report, an in-depth data analysis was performed and a detailed consultation strategy was applied; consisting of a Public Consultation and supplementing targeted consultations and interviews. Due to the nature of the research questions concerning the review clause, this study focuses on three areas: exhaust emissions, evaporative emission and watercraft design categories.

The contributions of emissions of recreational craft are generally very small when compared to the transport sector and when also compared to all other sectors together.

Chapter 7 (page 135) contains the important conclusions and recommendations and Annex 1 Contains the results of the public targeted consultation. The commission has highlighted that they're still reviewing main findings of this study, which will be incorporated into a separate report to the European Parliament and Council due to be submitted in the first Quarter of 2022.

You can find a link to the Review study on the Recreational Craft Directive 2013/53/EU on our website here.

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