Malta amends Merchant Shipping (Training and Certification) Regulations

The Merchant Shipping Directorate of Transport Malta has issued the Merchant Shipping Notice entitled Promulgation of the Merchant Shipping (Training and Certification) (Amendment) Regulations.

This notice has been issued on November 9th, 2022.

The Directorate draws the attention of all concerned to the promulgation of the Merchant Shipping (Training and Certification) (Amendment) Regulations (Legal Notice 26 of  2021) published on 29 January 2021.

The Regulations transpose the amendments to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW Convention) and Directive 2008/106/EC on the Minimum Level of Training of Seafarers into Maltese legislation.

Inter alia, the recent amendments to the STCW Convention, published in 2017, include an overhaul of training for seafarers engaged on passenger ships, seafarers engaged on ships operating in Polar Waters and seafarers engaged on vessels that are subject to the IGF code.

Directive 2008/106/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on the Minimum Level of Training for Seafarers amended through Directive 2019/1159 transposed the STCW amendments into European law.

The Regulations also transpose the provisions for the training and certification of Radio Operators from the Radiocommunications (Certificates of Operators) Regulations (S.L. 399.35) into the Merchant Shipping (Training and Certification) Regulations.

Furthermore, the Regulations include new training provisions aimed at the yachting industry with a view of providing a holistic platform for this growing sector in line with the Administration’s vision.

The Directorate has developed a framework and syllabus, based on the tables of the STCW Code intended to assist accredited STCW training centres in developing their own training programmes leading to such STCW certificates.

The following is the framework developed and adopted by the Directorate:

• Officer in Charge of a Navigational Watch on Yachts less than 3000 GT - Master on Yachts less than 500 GT – Framework and Syllabus
• Master on Yachts less than 3000 GT – TM Model Course 2.01

Following successful completion of the above-mentioned courses, the Directorate may issue the following STCW certificates:  

Officer in Charge of a Navigational Watch on Yachts of Less Than Three Thousand (3000) Gross Tonnage

A certificate of competency as Officer in Charge of a Navigational Watch is issued in terms of Regulation II/1 of the STCW Convention and Section A-II/1 of the STCW Code, which is limited to yachts of less than three thousand (3000) gross tonnage (GT).  

Master on Yachts of Less Than Five Hundred (500) Gross Tonnage / Chief Mate on Yachts of Less Than Three Thousand (3000) Gross Tonnage

A certificate of competency as Master / Chief Mate is issued in terms of Regulation II/2 of the STCW Convention and Section A-II/2 of the STCW Code, which is limited to yachts of less than five hundred (500) GT / three thousand (3000) GT.

Master on Yachts of Less Than Three Thousand (3000) Gross Tonnage

A certificate of competency as Master is issued in terms of Regulation II/2  of the STCW Convention and Section A-II/2 of the STCW Code, which is limited to yachts of less than three thousand (3000) GT.  

Application for Certification

Applications for certificates of competency for shall be submitted to the Merchant Shipping Directorate online through the Seafarer Portal https://seafarers.transport.gov.mt.

RELEVANT DOCUMENT (AVAILABLE ONLY TO SUBSCRIBERS):

Promulgation of the Merchant Shipping (Training and Certification) (Amendment) Regulations