A directive 96/98 WE according the marine equipement from December 20th 1996 obliges the membership countries of the European Union since January 1st 1999.

The purpose of the present directive is to increase security on the sea and to prevent the pollution of the seas by the uniform usage of suitable internantional documents according the equipement enumerated in an annex A, that the ships for which the certificates of security were put out by the membership countries or in their name should be equipped in, and also to ensure a free flow of this equipment within the Community's area. 

In the matter of the accordance rating, the following procedure is adapted:

* an analysis WE type (B module) and also before introducing the equipment to the market and according to the choice made by producer or her authorized representative with an office within the Comunity's area, among the controls mentiond in an annex A1, all equipement comes under:

a) declaration of the accordance with WE type (C module);

b) declaration of the accordance with WE type;

c) declaration of the accordance with WE type (assertation of the product's quality) (E module);

d) declaration of the accordance with WE type (products' control) (F module);

(e) complex assertation of the quality (H module).