CROATIA JOINS STATES WITH UNIFIED EDUCATION STANDARDS FOR SAILORS

ZAGREB, Feb 15 (Hina) - Croatia has joined a so-called "white list" of countries which are fully complying with the STCW international convention on standards regulating the education of sailors, issuing of competence certificates and outlook, the Croatian Ministry of Maritime Affairs, Transport and Communications said. The convention, which is the basis for setting unified international standards in the education of sailors, has been signed by 135 countries since its signing in 1978. Croatia has become one of the 72 countries which are fully implementing the convention. According to the Ministry, the document is of great importance for Croatia because it confirms that the competence certificates of Croatian sailors are internationally valid and facilitates their employment on foreign ships. Countries under whose flags those ships sail will recognise all competence certificates issued in Croatia and ships with Croatian sailors will have less strict treatment by the inspection of the state whose port they enter. The issuing of the 'white list' does not mean that the process of changing and amending the STCW convention is completed, but rather that all legal preconditions for the full implementation of the convention have been met. In Croatia's case, this means that it is necessary to introduce quality systems in the Maritime Administration and all naval academies as well as provide adequate equipment for those academies. The deadline for adjusting the education system and the certificate-issuing procedure to the Convention is February 1 next year. (hina) rml