Explanation to Wheelmark (Marine Equipment Directive MED e. g.

96/98/EC and the rules which will com in force later)

Basis:

1. Guidelines for the Outfitting of Ships No. 96/98/EG of the Council of the European Union, dated 20th December, 1996 (MED 96/98/EC) 2. Amendment of Guideline 98/85 to the amendment of Guideline No. 96/98, dated 11.11.1998 3. New SOLAS Chapter V

With the Wheelmark, the harmonization of the test standard and type approval requirements for the outfitting of ships is continued; that is, instead of the national Type Approval designations and CE-Mark, from 1.1.1999 on a Wheelmark designation is introduced according to the abovementioned European standard European Guideline (MED 96/98/EC) . The council of the EC has determined that all nations of the European Union must realize the above-mentioned guidelines in their national laws so that this law can become effective as of January 1, 1999. Independent of the transfer of the EU Guideline into national laws, this Guideline must be applied by all EU countries (including Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein). Explanation: 1. All devices which are listed in Annex A.1 and which were manufactured before December 31, 1998, are allowed to be newly installed after January 1, 1999 and until December 31, 2000, on board vessels subject to carriage requirements and operating under the flag of an EU nation (including Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein). 2. Starting January 1, 2001, all newly installed devices (which are listed in Annex 1) must be labelled with the Wheelmark, even if they were produced before January 1, 1999. This too applies only for vessels subject to carriage requirements and operating under the flag of an EU nation (including Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein). 3. All equipment listed in Annex 1 of the EU Guideline which is produced after December 31, 1998 and which is installed on board vessels subject to carriage requirements must be designated with the Wheelmark. 4. The already published and therefore valid Annex A.1 includes the following devices/systems which are part of our sales palette: 4.1 Search and Rescue equipment: - VHF radio installation capable of transmitting and receiving DSC and radiotelephony for survival vehicles - 9 GHz SAR radar transponder (SART) - Compasses for lifeboats and rescue
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4.2 Prevention of marine pollution 4.3 Fire prevention 4.4 Navigation equipment - Magnetic compass - Magnetic spare Compass effective July 1, 2002
New SOLAS V, Regulation 19 under 2.2.1: "All ships of 150 gross tonnage and upwards and passenger ships irrespectiv of size, in addition to the requirements of paragraph 2.1, be fitted with a spare magnetic compass interchangeable with the magnetic compass, as referred to in paragraph 2.1.1, or other means to perform the function referred to in paragraph 2.1.1 by means of replacement or duplicate equipment."

Gyro compass Radar equipment Automatic radar plotting aid (ARPA) Echosounding equipment Device to indicate speed and distance Rudder angle, rpm, pitch indicator Rate-of-turn indicator Loran-C equipment Chayka equipment Decca navigator equipment GPS equipment GLONASS equipment Autopilot equipment (heading control system) Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) - effective July 1, 2002 Universal automatic Identification System (AIS) effective July 1, 2002 Electronic Chart display and Information System (ECDIS) effective July 1, 2002

4.5 Radio equipment - VHF radio installation capable of transmitting and receiving DSC and radiotelephony - VHF DSC watchkeeping receiver - NAVITEX receiver - EGC receiver - HF marine safety information (MSI) equipment (HF NBDP receiver) - 405 MHz EPIRB (COSPAS-SARSAT) - L-band EPIRB (INMARSAT) - 2182 kHz watch receiver - Two-tone alarm signal generator - MF radio installation capable of transmitting and receiving DSC and radiotelephony - MF radiotelephone DSC watchkeeping receiver - Inmarsat-B SES (only if it is a part of GMDSS)
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Inmarsat-C SES MF/HF radio installation capable of transmitting and receiving DSC, NBDP and radiotelephony Radiotelephone MF/HF DSC watchkeeping receiver Aeronautical two way VHF radio telephone apparatus

All other equipment is to be found in Annex A.1. For all other products which are not included in Annex A.1 of the EU Guideline, the carriage requirement remain valid, i.e. the respective national Type Approval requirements if applicable (see also Paragraph 5.7). For all equipment included in our scope of supply which are subject to the EU Guideline, Annex A.1, the necessary applications to the Notified Bodies (BSH, SBG, GL-Luxembourg, KCS [previously Telefication], Qinetic, etc.) have been made or are in preparation. For deliveries from other firms which we include in our scope of supply, the manufacturers or importers who import the product into the EU are responsible. They have already been requested by us to initiate the necessary steps to obtain the Wheelmark (Conformity Evaluation Procedure). NEW: Electromagnetic compatibility according to IEC 60 945 SOLAS V, Regulation 17 1 Administrations shall ensure that all electrical and electronic equipment on the bridge or in the vicinity of the bridge, on ships constructed on or after 1 July 2002, is tested for electromagnetic compatibility taking into account the recommendations developed by the Organization.* 2 Electrical and electronic equipment shall be so installed that electromagnetic interference does not affect the proper function of navigational systems and equipment. 3 Portable electrical and electronic equipment shall not be operated on the bridge if it may affect the proper function of navigational systems and equipment.
*) Refer to the General requirements for Electromagnetic Compatibility for all Electrical and Electronic Ship's Equipment adopted by the Organization by resolution A.813(19).

5.
5.1

How are practical realization and application carried out?

Application for Initiation of the Conformity Evaluation Procedure The manufacturer of the products/systems named in Annex A.1 make the application to a Notified Body within the EU. At the time of application the applicant agrees to submit this application only to a Notified Body,

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5.2

The Conformity Evaluation Procedure: The Notified Body checks whether the product/system fulfils the prescribed SOLAS 74 Rules and IMO Resolutions which were valid as of 1.1.1999. This must be proven through presentation of test protocols (Environmental Compatibility acc. to EN 60945, function tests acc. to IMO resolutions, etc., product-specific details see Annex A.1, Point Testing Standards). The tests must have been performed by a laboratory which has been accredited in Europe.

5.3

Evaluation of the Quality Management: - Is the manufacturer ISO 9001 certified? If yes: The manufacturer may make the declaration of conformity themselves and attach the Wheelmark Labels themselves. If no: A product monitoring contract must be closed between the Notified Body or its representative and the manufacturer of the product. In this case the Declaration of Conformity is issued by the Notified Body or its representative, who also attaches the Wheelmark-Label.

5.4

If the product fulfils all rules and if the manufacturer has a quality management system (for example ISO 9001): Then the Notified Body issues a Declaration of Conformity. The Declaration of Conformity documents that the product fulfils all approval requirements. When the manufacturer is in possession of this Declaration of Conformity, then he himself is allowed to issue a Declaration of Conformity and designate the product with the Wheelmark. The Declaration of Conformity confirms that the series product corresponds to the test object. The Declaration of Conformity must be supplied with the product at delivery and serves as proof of the Wheelmark.

5.5

If the product fulfils all rules and the manufacturer has no quality management system: In this case the Declaration of Conformity is issued by the Notified Body or its representative within the framework of product monitoring. The designation is also issued by the Notified Body or its representative.

The following paragraph is not longer valid since January 1, 2001:

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5.6

If the product does not fulfil all rules according to testing by the Notified Body The manufacturer receives a temporary Declaration of Conformity valid for a certain period of time (this will be year, according to the BSH). In this year the manufacturer may issue a Declaration of Conformity and designate the product with the Wheelmark. At the end of this period (incl. a tolerance which may result from capacity shortages for later tests for which the manufacturer is not responsible), the required tests must have been performed so that the temporary Declaration of Conformity can be transformed into an unlimited Declaration of Conformity. If the manufacturer does not fulfil the rules after this period, the temporary Declaration of Conformity becomes invalid. The manufacturer may then not issue a Declaration of Conformity and may not designate the equipment with the Wheelmark. All devices which have been delivered and installed up to this point retain the Wheelmark without limitation.

5.7 Wheelmark Label The label comprises 3 elements: 1. 2. 3. The stylized steering wheel The number of the Notified Body which performed the conformity evaluation procedure for the respective product. The production year of the product.

An example of the Label is shown here, in which the BSH is to be the Notified Body, and the form of which was approved by the BSH.

The Wheelmark Label generally replaces the CE-Mark and the Type Approval Mark and may be used only for the products which are listed in Annex A.1 of the EU Rules.

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5.8

Validity of the Wheelmark As explained at the beginning, the purpose of the Wheelmark is the harmonization of the safety standards for ships equipment on the European level. The Wheelmark is based on the Council Directive 96/98 of the European Community of December 20, 1996 on marine equipment and the amendment CD 98/85, dated November 1998, that is, a European law. The general rule is: European law takes precedence over national law. Although the legislation in the various European countries is not yet complete, nevertheless the European Council Directive 96/98 and 98/85 must be applied. Similarly, the Declaration of Conformity of the Notified Body of each EU member state must be recognized by every other EU member state. The national governments are called upon in the Council Directive to report the approved Notified Bodies within their borders to the EU.

5.9

How will all other products be handled in the future? For all products/systems which are not listed in Attachment A.1 of the EU-Rules and which are installed on ships subject to carriage requirements and which are used for nautical purposes, the respectively applicable national type approval requirements remain valid in the future. These pieces of equipment may not be designated with a "Wheelmark. They bear, as before, the CE-Mark and the Type Approval Mark.

5.10

Issuing of exceptional approvals The procedure for issuing exceptional approvals will be stiffened in the extreme in that the Notified Bodies will have to apply for these to the EU-Commission in Brussels using a complicated formal procedure.

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