Boats, marine equipment and lifejackets

• Directive 2013/53/EU — Recreational Craft
• Directive 2014/90/EU — Marine Equipment
• Regulation (EU) 2016/425 — PPE for lifejackets
• Regulation (EU) 2016/1628 — engine emissions

Who has to appoint one

Manufacturers outside the Union placing recreational craft, engines or marine equipment on the EU market. Private importers who bring a boat in for their own use also carry obligations, including post-construction assessment where the craft was not built to EU requirements.

Thresholds and exemptions

The Recreational Craft Directive covers craft from 2.5 to 24 metres hull length. Personal watercraft are covered regardless of length. Lifejackets are Category II or III PPE depending on the buoyancy and intended use.

What must appear on the label

CE marking, the craft identification number, the builder's plate with the design category, maximum load and persons, manufacturer and EU representative details, and for engines the emission and noise approval information. Lifejackets carry CE marking with the notified body number and the buoyancy rating in newtons.

Marketplace fields

Marine marketplaces require the declaration of conformity and the owner's manual. Lifejackets sold without a notified body number are removed, as are those citing standards that do not exist.

Documentation you must hold

EU declaration of conformity, technical file, stability and buoyancy calculations, owner's manual, engine emission and noise approval documents, and for lifejackets the EU type-examination certificate.

Standards and testing

EN ISO 12217 for stability and buoyancy, EN ISO 10240 for the owner's manual, engine testing under Regulation 2016/1628, and EN ISO 12402 series for lifejackets and buoyancy aids.

Language requirements

The owner's manual in the official language of the member state where the craft is placed on the market, which is mandatory and frequently missing on imported craft.

When it applies

Before placing on the market or putting into service. Post-construction assessment applies to craft imported without EU conformity.

How long records are kept

Ten years for the technical documentation.

What happens if you do not comply

Prohibition of use, withdrawal, and refusal of registration by national maritime authorities, which prevents the boat being used at all.

Who enforces it

Market surveillance authorities, national maritime administrations, notified bodies and customs.

Where the boundary lies

A paddle board or kayak under 2.5 metres falls outside the Recreational Craft Directive and lands in GPSR, while the buoyancy aid sold with it is PPE. Marine Equipment Directive products for commercial vessels follow a separate wheelmark regime.

Questions we are asked

Can I import a US-built boat for personal use?

Yes, but as a private importer you must ensure conformity, which usually means a post-construction assessment by a notified body before use in the Union.

Is a buoyancy aid the same as a lifejacket?

No. Buoyancy aids of 50 newtons are for swimmers in sheltered water; lifejackets of 100 newtons and above turn an unconscious person. They are different classes with different testing.