Derogation
Article 7
1. A Member State may, if it considers it difficult in practice for companies to comply with paragraphs 6, 7, 9, 11 and 12 of Part A of the ISM Code for certain ships or categories of ships exclusively engaged on domestic voyages in that Member State, derogate wholly or partly from those provisions by imposing measures ensuring equivalent achievement of the objectives of the Code. 2. A Member State may, for ships and companies for which a derogation has been adopted by virtue of paragraph 1, if it considers it difficult in practice to apply the requirements laid down in Article 6, establish alternative certification and verification procedures. 3. In the circumstances set out in paragraph 1 and, if applicable, paragraph 2, the following procedure shall apply: (a) the Member State concerned shall notify the Commission of the derogation and of the measures which it intends to adopt; (b) if, within six months of the notification, it is decided, in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 12(2), that the proposed derogation is not justified or that the proposed measures are not sufficient, the Member State shall be required to amend or refrain from adopting the proposed provisions; (c) the Member State shall make any adopted measures public with a direct reference to paragraph 1 and, if applicable, paragraph 2. 4. Following a derogation under paragraph 1 and, if applicable, paragraph 2, the Member State concerned shall issue a certificate in accordance with the second subparagraph of Annex II, Part B, Section 5, indicating the applicable operational limitations.