Safety requirements for persons with reduced mobility
Article 8
1. Member States shall ensure that appropriate measures are taken, based, where practicable, on the guidelines in Annex III, to enable persons with reduced mobility to have safe access to all passenger ships of Classes A, B, C and D and to all high-speed passenger craft used for public transport the keel of which was laid or which were at a similar stage of construction on or after 1 October 2004. 2. Member States shall cooperate with and consult organisations representing persons with reduced mobility on the implementation of the guidelines included in Annex III. 3. For the purpose of modification of passenger ships of Classes A, B, C and D and high-speed passenger craft used for public transport the keel of which was laid or which were at a similar stage of construction before 1 October 2004, Member States shall apply the guidelines in Annex III as far as reasonable and practicable in economic terms. Member States shall draw up a national action plan on how the guidelines are to be applied to such ships and craft. They shall forward that plan to the Commission not later than 17 May 2005. 4. Member States shall, not later than 17 May 2006, report to the Commission on the implementation of this Article as regards all passenger ships referred to in paragraph 1, passenger ships referred to in paragraph 3 certified to carry more than 400 passengers and all high-speed passenger craft.