Verdrag inzake stabiliteitsvereisten voor passagiersschepen die geregelde internationale lijndiensten van en naar havens in Noord-West-Europa en de Baltische Zee onderhouden

For the purposes of the present Agreement:
a) International voyage means a voyage from a country to which the present Agreement applies to a port outside that country, or conversely;
b) Ro-ro passenger ship means a passenger ship with ro-ro cargo spaces or special category spaces as defined in regulation II–2/3 of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea 1974 as amended;
c) Specific stability requirements means the specific stability requirements specified in annex 2;
d) Designated port means any port within the area bounded by lines and the coast as shown on the map at annex 1 from which ro-ro passenger ships operate on regular scheduled international voyages;
e) Secretary-General means the Secretary-General of the International Maritime Organization.

The Contracting Governments agree to apply the specific stability requirements to ro-ro passenger ships entitled to fly their flag and operating on regular scheduled international voyages carrying passengers
a) between designated ports or
b) to or from designated ports.

The Contracting Governments agree to apply the specific stability requirements no later than the dates prescribed in annex 2.

A ro-ro passenger ship which is not normally engaged on regular scheduled international voyages between or to or from designated ports but which is required to undertake a single voyage between such ports or to or from such a port may be exempted from any or all of the specific stability requirements by a Contracting Government or by the ship's flag State, following consultations with the Contracting Government or Governments between or to or from whose ports the voyage is to take place. An exemption shall not be granted by the ship's flag State unless the ship complies with international safety requirements which in the joint opinion of the ship's flag State and the Contracting Government or Governments between or to or from whose ports the voyage is to take place are adequate for the intended voyage.

1. The Contracting Governments agree that the specific stability requirements should apply to all ro-ro passenger ships operating on regular scheduled international voyages carrying passengers between or to or from designated ports, irrespective of flag and bearing in mind the necessity to ensure that no more favourable treatment should be given to ships entitled to fly the flag of States non-parties to the present Agreement.
2. The Contracting Governments further agree to encourage the application of the specific stability requirements, on the timescale set out in annex 2, to ro-ro passenger ships entitled to fly the flag of States non-parties to the present Agreement and operating on regular scheduled international voyages carrying passengers between or to or from designated ports.
3. Each Contracting Government undertakes to advise the other Contracting Governments, the Secretary-General and, with respect to States that are members of the European Union, the Commission of the European Communities of the steps it has taken to implement paragraph 2 of this Article.

1. Each Contracting Government shall provide each ship entitled to fly its flag and to which the present Agreement applies with a document indicating that the ship complies with the specific stability requirements.
2. The Contracting Governments agree to accept a document provided under paragraph 1 as evidence that the ship to which the document relates complies with the specific stability requirements.
3. When a State non-party to the present Agreement issues a document indicating that a ship complies with the specific stability requirements such a document will be accepted as prima facie evidence that the ship so complies.

1. The present Agreement shall be open for signature at the Headquarters of the Organization from 1 July until 30 September 1996, and shall thereafter remain open for accession. States may become parties to the present Agreement by:
a) signature without reservation as to ratification, acceptance or approval, or
b) signature subject to ratification, acceptance or approval, followed by ratification, acceptance or approval, or
c) accession.
2. Ratification, acceptance, approval or accession shall be effected by the deposit of an instrument to that effect with the Secretary-General.
3. The Secretary-General shall inform the Governments of all States which have signed the present Agreement or acceded to it of any signature or of the deposit of any instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession and the date of its deposit. When the conditions for entry into force have been met, the Secretary-General shall inform the Governments of these States of the date of entry into force of the Agreement.

1. The present Agreement shall be notified by the Government of Sweden to the Secretary-General.
It shall enter into force
a) twelve months after the date of notification to the Secretary-General, or
b) on the date on which not fewer than five States have become parties in accordance with Article 7,
whichever is the later.
2. Any instrument of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession deposited after the date on which the present Agreement enters into force shall take effect thirty days after the date of deposit.

1. Any Contracting Government may, by written notification addressed to the Secretary-General, denounce the present Agreement.
2. A denunciation shall take effect twelve months after its receipt by the Secretary-General.

1. The present Agreement shall be deposited with the Secretary-General.
2. The Secretary-General shall, as soon as the present Agreement enters into force, transmit certified copies of the Agreement to
a) all Contracting Governments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea 1974 as amended,
b) the Commission of the European Communities.
3. As soon as the present Agreement enters into force the Secretary-General shall transmit a copy of the Agreement to the Secretariat of the United Nations for registration and publication in accordance with Article 102 of the Charter of the United Nations.

The present Agreement is established in a single copy in the English, French, Spanish and Russian languages, each text being equally authentic.