ECDIS

Competence of Masters and Deck Officers

(Certificate of Competency / Documentary Evidence)
.

Current situation:
This notice is for the information of companies, seafarers, port state control
officers and training institutions and specifies which Certificates of Competency
(CoC) and Documentary Evidence (DocE) are required by masters and deck
officers to serve on board German-flagged vessels of any size and which are
equipped with official Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems
(ECDIS).
In accordance with chapter V, regulation 19 no. 2.10 of the annex to the SOLAS
Convention, a staged installation of ECDIS equipment will become mandatory
for specific types of seagoing ships between 1st. July 2012 and 1st. July 2018.
With effect from 1st January 2012 international mandatory ECDIS standards in
accordance with the Manila Amendments to the STCW Convention 2010 came
into force. These minimum standards refer to the education and training of
masters and deck officers and the appropriate documentation of ECDIS
competencies.
A basic competence requirement has been introduced for masters and deck
officers (generic training) in accordance with chapter II of the annex to the
STCW Convention.
Under regulation I/14 of the annex to the STCW Convention, companies are
required to ensure that all masters and deck officers serving on ships equipped
with ECDIS are familiarised with the particular ECDIS system installed on board
(type specific training).
Although the 2010 Manila Amendments might not require masters and deck
officers serving on vessels equipped with ECDIS to meet these requirements
before 1st. January 2017, all seafarers should be encouraged to have received
generic training and to be able to provide DocE of this training prior to serving
on such vessels.
1.

2. Generic training
2.1. Certificates of Competency (CoC)
For the first time, the amendments to the STCW Convention adopted in Manila
in 2010 contain detailed standards on the evidence of competency in the
operation of ECDIS equipment (generic training). Effective 1st. January 2012,
under regulations II/1, II/2 and II/3 1 of the annex to the STCW Convention, any
CoCs will be issued with a limitation regarding ECDIS whose validity is to be
extended beyond 1 January 2017 if the certificate holder is unable to provide
adequate DocE of the required ECDIS competencies.

The endorsement of certificates with limitations regarding ECDIS can be

avoided, if the holder decides only to apply for a revalidation until the 31st.
December 2016.

In Germany, Certificates of Competency under Regulation II/3 have not been issued so far.

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All CoCs expiring on 31st. December 2016 do not give evidence of ECDIS
qualifications in compliance with the STCW Convention as amended by the
2010 Manila Amendments.
Documentary evidence of adequate ECDIS qualification in accordance with the
provisions of the regulations II/1, II/2 and II/3 of the annex to the STCW
Convention according to the Manila Amendments are only provided in the form
of the appropriate CoC issued to masters and deck officers. Course certificates
of participation will not be accepted as adequate documentary evidence.
If sufficient evidence of adequate ECDIS competencies have been documented,
CoCs without any limitations regarding ECDIS competencies will be issued.
Proof of adequate ECDIS competencies could be documented through:
- evidence of training according to no. 2.2.1 (transitional arrangement of
generic training)
- Presentation of DocE of courses which have been approved by the BSH
according to no. 2.2.2 (generic ECDIS training, approved ECDIS courses)
- Presentation of comparable training and DocE, which have been approved
by the Maritime Administration of an European Economic Area (EEA)
member state, see 2.2.3.
2.2. Acquisition of competency
2.2.1. Anyone who holds a German CoC as an officer in charge of a
navigational watch according to regulation II/1 of the STCW Convention
which was first issued after the 1st January 2006 meets the requirement of
generic ECDIS training including these terms agreed in the 2010 Manila
Amendments to the STCW Convention.
2.2.2. Anyone who is able to provide DocE of having attended a BSH-approved
training course has been trained in compliance with the standards for
generic ECDIS training. All BSH approved courses can be found on the
Deutsche
Flagge
website
(Ausbildung
und
Befhigung

zulassungspflichtige Kurse).
2.2.3. Participation in generic ECDIS training based on the IMO Model ECDIS
Course 1.27 which has been approved by the Maritime Administration of
an other EEA Member State also meets these requirements.
2.3
Recommendation
Until 31st. December 2016, all DocE of having participated in training according
to numbers 2.2.1 2.2.3 is in compliance with applicable regulations and meets
all Port State Control requirements regarding adequate competencies in generic
ECDIS training.
However, it is strongly recommended for all masters and officers to apply as
quickly as possible for CoC according to regulations II/1 and II/2 (officer in
charge of a navigational watch, chief officer, master) which are valid over
beyond 1st. January 2017 and which have no limitations regarding the operation
of ECDIS equipment.

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This might also require the participation in safety refresher courses according to
regulations VI/1, VI/2 and VI/3 of the annex to the STCW Convention (refresher
courses).
3.

Type specific ECDIS training

Apart from the generic ECDIS training required by seafarers certified in

accordance with chapter II of the annex to the STCW Convention, all
companies shall ensure in compliance with regulation I/14 of the annex to the
STCW Convention, as well as with sections 6.3 and 6.5 of the International
Safety Management (ISM) Code, that all masters and deck officers serving on
board ships equipped with ECDIS, also receive adequate type-specific ECDIS
training.
All ECDIS manufacturers should provide suitable type specific ECDIS training
material on CD or DVD for this purpose.
Also a record of the type specific ECDIS familiarization training should be
provided. Such type specific training is complementary to generic ECDIS
training.

3.

Further Information
Further information, i.e. about the approval of courses can be obtained
from:
Bundesamt fr Seeschifffahrt und Hydrographie
Sachgebiet S12
Postfach 30 12 20
20305 Hamburg
Tel.: +49 (0) 40 31 90 71 25
Fax: +49 (0) 40 31 90 50 00
E-Mail: zeugnisse@bsh.de
www.deutsche-flagge.de

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