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How well do you know the new Watercraft Directive 2013/53/EU?
1. Which countries are covered by the Directive?
- All European countries
- Any country wishing to apply the Directive
- 28 EU Members States + European Economic Area countries (Iceland, Lichtenstein, Norway) + Switzerland
- 28 EU Member States only
2. As of when the products under scope must comply with the new Directive?
- 28 December 2013
- 17 January 2016
- 18 January 2017
- Never
3. An additional period of 3 years is granted to small and medium-sized companies to comply with the Directive. It concerns:
- Exhaust emissions of outboard spark ignition (SI) propulsion engines with power equal or less than 15kW
- Exhaust emissions of propulsion engines with power equal or less than 15kW
- Noise emissions of propulsion engines with power equal or less than 50kW
- Eco-designed sailing boats using at least 75% of recyclable materials
4. Which of the following products are excluded from the scope of the new Directive?
- Racing boats
- Canoes, kayaks, gondolas and pedalos propelled by human power
- Surfboards
- All of the above mentioned
5. Who can place a product on the EU market?
- Manufacturer, importer, distributor
- Manufacturer or importer
- Only the manufacturer
- Any legal or physical person who resides in the EU
6. The economic operators and private importers must keep the information on the product, their suppliers and/or customers for a period of:
- 2 years
- 5 years
- 10 years
- 15 years
7. Where do manufacturers and importers have to indicate their names and address?
- They don’t have to but the European habit is to print it on the business card
- On the product itself and if not possible, on its packaging or in a document accompanying the product
- Exclusively on the technical documentation and the EU declaration of conformity
- On or near the transom, starboard side, near the top or within 300 mm of the stern
8. Each watercraft must have:
- A unique Craft Identification Number (CIN) and a builder’s plate
- A CE marking and an EU Declaration of Conformity
- A good user who carefully reads the owner’s manual
- All of the above mentioned
9. Each propulsion engine must be clearly marked with the following information:
- The manufacturer’s name and address in the EU, engine type and family, unique serial number and CE marking
- The manufacturer’s name, engine type and family, serial number and CE marking
- The maximum power and speed it can reach on the first nautical mile
- It depends on the design of the engine but the bare minimums are the CE marking and the unique engine serial number
10. Which components are covered in the Annex II of the Directive and have marking requirements:
- Any component fitted on a boat or personal watercraft
- Certain ignition-protected equipment and start-in-gear protection devices for engines, steering wheels, fuel tanks and hoses, and prefabricated hatches and port lights
- Winches, steering wheels and ropes
- Self-deployable ladders in case of man overboard
11. The CE marking stands for:
- “Communauté Européenne” meaning the product was made in the EU, EEA or Switzerland
- “China Export” meaning the product was legally exported from China to the EU single market
- An indicator showing the product’s compliance with the essential requirements of the Directive and other applicable EU legislation
- “Customer Excellence” meaning the buyer will be guaranteed fun and pleasure with the product
12. The Directive’s essential requirements are:
- Specific technical requirements and proposed solutions to comply with the Directive
- The main barrier to the creativity and imagination of boat designers and naval architects
- Based on the international ISO standards used in Europe as harmonised standards
- Defining the results to be attained and/or the hazards to be dealt with during design, construction and operation phases
13. The term “harmonised standard” means:
- The standard was developed on the request of the European Commission and adopted for the application of EU legislation
- The standard has just been published and is available for voluntary use immediately
- A national standardisation body in the EU has approved it
- It is in harmony with other similar like-minded standards
14. The watercraft design categories are meant to:
- Inform the user about the areas in which he/she should use the craft, e.g. in sheltered waters, inshore, offshore or ocean navigation
- Inform the user about the meteorological conditions that the watercraft can safely meet, based on the wind force and the significant wave height
- Classify the watercraft according to their nautical performance index
- Rank the watercraft from dangerous to safe, depending on the user’s profile and experience
15. The Post Construction Assessment (PCA) is:
- The procedure to assess the equivalent conformity of a product for which the manufacturer has not assumed the responsibility
- A simplified assessment procedure necessary to import a boat or a PWC into Europe
- The equivalent to the owner’s manual, which explains how to safely use the boat
- Not relevant for the end user and only concerns the manufacturer
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