Further to the general description of The Directive Article 35 introduces in paragraph 2 and 3 the term "implementing acts" The below two paragraphs are copied from Article 35 of this Directive, hereinafter referred to as MED;
For each item of marine equipment for which approval of the flag administration is required by the international conventions, the Commission shall indicate by means of implementing acts the respective design, construction and performance requirements and the testing standards provided for in the international instruments. When adopting those acts, the Commission shall explicitly indicate the dates from which those requirements and testing standards are to apply, including the dates for placing on the market and placing on board, in accordance with the international instruments, and taking into consideration timeframes for ship-building. The Commission may also specify the common criteria and detailed procedures for their application.
The Commission shall by implementing acts, indicate the respective design, construction and performance requirements newly provided for in the international instruments which apply to equipment already placed on board, in order to ensure that equipment placed on board EU ships complies with the international instruments.
Based on the above the Commission developed, assisted by EMSA, the "Equipment List". This equipment list with formal name "Commission Implementing Regulation", replaces the previous "A.1 list" which was an annex to the 96/98 (EC) Directive. As explained in the "The Directive" tab, a Regulation allows for faster updating and enforcing of the equipment list allowing for the application of up to date technical requirements in the EU Type Approval process (Module B).
The body text of the equipment list is important, as it indicates when newly introduced items of equipment shall comply with the MED, and when the Regulation itself will enter into force.
The equipment list covers two main groups of marine equipment, both main groups are divided in 8 subgroups. The number between brackets is the total items covered in a group (based on the latest published regulation (EU) 2022/1157)
Main Group 1, the "old" A.1 List
- life-saving appliances (44)
- Marine pollution prevention (10)
- Fire protection equipment (71)
- Navigation equipment (63)
- Radio-communication equipment (22)
- Equipment required under COLREG 72 (1)
- Other safety equipment (1)
- Equipment under SOLAS Chapter II-1 (1)
Main group 2, the "old" A.2 List
Main group 2 covers items of marine equipment for which testing standards are not yet defined/completed. This group contains presently 31 items. Items in this group cannot be approved under the MED. (They may be individually approved by the "Administration")
Items in group 1 are listed in a table consisting of 6 columns, column 5 and 6 are added at the time of the introduction of the new 2014/90 edition of the MED. (and the Implementing regulation) The columns are as follows:
- Number and item designation, unique number and description
- Regulation in SOLAS or MARPOL where requirements are listed
- Testing standards, international instruments
- Modules for conformity assessment, allowable routes for approval
- First placing on the market, first date placing on board/market
- Last placing on board, last date of allowed placing on board
Compared with the "old" A.1 List, the new Annex (Implementing Regulation) contains much more information, several items are now divided, e.g. winches for survival craft, previously item A.1/1.41 is now covered by MED/1.41a, b, c, d, e. Unfortunately the document is now becoming very large, and has to be studied carefully as different dates may be applicable.