Professional qualifications for navigators

In the European Union (EU), members of the deck crew of an inland navigation ship must carry an EU certificate of qualification in accordance with Directive (EU) 2017/2397 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 12 December 2017, which creates harmonised conditions for the issuing of professional qualifications in inland navigation by establishing the material and organisational requirements for the issuing of the various certificates and for the recognition of these qualifications in the Member States.

These certificates of qualification are valid throughout Europe and thus enable skippers who hold them to navigate on inland waterways throughout the European Union.

This directive applies to new certificates of qualification for inland navigation issued after 18 January 2022. A transitional validity of 10 years applies to existing certificates of qualification issued under the old regulation (in particular Rhine).

It is important to note that this directive does not apply to persons travelling for sport or pleasure, but only to commercial navigation.

The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg:

• confirms the entries in the skipper's service record books;
• issues or certifies the logbooks;
• issues voyage time certificates;
• issues, renews, suspends and insures certificates of qualification;
• issues, renews, suspends and insures special licences (radar and passenger navigation);
• ensures the assessment of skills;
• issues the administrative licence introduced by the Grand Ducal Regulation to the personnel concerned.

Administrative examination for an assessment of competence

Each crew member of an inland navigation ship must have successfully completed an assessment of competence for the following areas:

• the operational level;
• the command level.

Any crew member of an inland navigation ship operating in the European Union (EU) may apply for a proficiency assessment by taking an administrative examination.

Applicants who have completed an approved training programme for the operational or command level do not need to apply for this type of assessment.

Issue of a logbook

The logbook is a European document that is kept on board ships travelling on the inland waterways of the European Union. The navigation times of the crew on board must be entered in it.

There is only one active logbook per ship.

All operators and owners of ships navigating on inland waterways are affected, with the exception of:

• tugboats and push boats that do not leave harbours;
• unmanned barges (e.g. pontoons or push barges);
• ships operated by the government;
• sports boats.

Issue of a single or merged service record book

Each crew member must be in possession of a service book:

• a simple service record book, for the driver; or
• a combined service record book, for the other crew members.

In inland navigation, the service record book is a European document certifying the following for each crew member:

• his physical and mental fitness;
• his navigation time.

It must be kept on board the vessel during the voyage so that it can be completed by the skipper and checked by the competent authorities.

Issue of a certificate of competence, a special licence, a certificate for special operations and/or an administrative patent

In the European Union (EU), in inland navigation, members of the deck crew must hold an EU qualification certificate as a member of the deck crew that fulfils the minimum requirements in terms of:

• qualification;
• age;
• medical fitness;
• navigation time for the acquisition of a specific mission.

Any crew member on an inland navigation ship sailing in the European Union (EU) may apply for one or more of the following certificates, provided they have completed a training programme or passed an administrative examination:

• a certificate of qualification; or 
• a specific authorisation (for drivers); or 
• a certificate for specific activities.

Certification of the navigation time

Skippers wishing to obtain a certificate of professional competence in inland navigation in accordance with Directive (EU) 2017/2397 must be able to prove their navigation time by means of a specific certificate, if they wish to:

• obtain a promotion; or 
• fulfil the conditions for admission to competitions, examinations or promotions for:
  • Certificates of operational type (sailor, boatsman, helmsman), command type (boatmaster);
  • Certificates for special authorisations of the skipper (large convoy, water certificate with special hazards, certificate "expert for liquefied natural gas (LNG)") and for special operations (LNG and passenger shipping).