Modalities

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).