MIU simplifies the admission of foreign vessels to inland waterways

The Ministry of Infrastructure canceled two orders that contradict the norms of the law “On Inland Water Transport”. One of them concerns the procedure for foreign vessels calling at Ukrainian rivers.

The Ministry of Justice has registered the order of MIU No. 618, according to which two orders will expire from January 1st, 2022.

So, the order “On approval of the Regulation on the fee for registration of ships in the State Ship Register of Ukraine and the Ship Book of Ukraine” (order No. 93) will become invalid.

The second order is “On approval of the Procedure for issuing one-time temporary permits to enter the river ports of Ukraine for ships flying the flags of states with which international agreements on navigation on inland waterways have not been concluded” (Order No. 665).

The MIU noted that Section XII “Final and Transitional Provisions” of the Law “On Inland Water Transport” amended article 163 of the Law “On Transport”. These changes have banned visits to vessels flying the flags of states with which Ukraine has not concluded international agreements on navigation on its inland waterways.

At the same time, part three of Article 27 of the Law “On Inland Water Transport” provides for the admission of vessels to sail on inland waterways without issuing any additional permits, including for foreign vessels.

The MIU recalled that the Law requires vessels to comply with the requirements for the safety of navigation, environmental protection, etc., as well as the compliance of the vessel’s dimensions with the actual dimensions of the navigable channel and navigable hydraulic structures.

“Thus, a simplification and deregulation of the procedure for the call of foreign vessels into the river ports of Ukraine is being introduced,” the Ministry’s press service noted.

As for the order No. 93: it will lose force, because Article 36 of the Law of Ukraine “On Inland Water Transport” regulates the same legal norms as the old order. In addition, Order No. 618 should facilitate the harmonization of legal norms related to the performance of the functions of the Maritime Administration in the field of providing administrative services related to the maintenance of the State Ship Register and the Ship Book. More information about the changes can be found on the MIU website.

It became known back in September that the MIU would cancel orders that contradict the norms of the law “On Inland Water Transport” – it was then that the department developed and published for review a draft order “On the termination of some orders of the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of Infrastructure.”

As a reminder, in December 2020, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed the Law No. 1054-IX “On Inland Waterway Transport” adopted by the Verkhovna Rada (Parliament of Ukraine), which defines the legal, economic and organizational framework for the operation of inland water transport. The law has succumbed to criticism from businesses and private organizations.