WORLD TRADE
G/TBT/N/CAN/188
20 December 2006
ORGANIZATION
(06-6098)
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade
Original: English/
French
NOTIFICATION
The following notification is being circulated in accordance with Article 10.6.
1.
Member to Agreement notifying: CANADA
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):
2.
Agency responsible: Department of Transport
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site
addresses, if available) of agency or authority designated to handle comments
regarding the notification shall be indicated if different from above:
Canadian Enquiry Point
200-270 Albert Street
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada
K1P 6N7
Tel.: (+1) 613 238 3222
Fax.: (+1) 613 569 7808
E-mail: info@scc.ca
3.
Notified under Article 2.9.2 [ X ], 2.10.1 [ ], 5.6.2 [ X ], 5.7.1 [ ], other:
4.
Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading.
ICS numbers may be provided in addition, where applicable): Vessels (ICS: 47.040)
5.
Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document: Proposed Load Line
Regulations (32 pages, available in English and French).
6.
Description of content: Load lines located on each side of a vessel amidships indicate
the deepest that a ship can submerge into the water as a result of the loading of passengers,
cargo, fuel, stores or other material on board. There are different load lines for different
seasons of the year, areas of operation and densities of water.
The actual placement of these lines is dependent on numerous factors relating to the
geometry of the vessel. As well, since the load line placement assumes that the vessel will
have a certain stability when fully loaded, certain conditions must be fulfilled in the
construction and design of the vessel—water should not accumulate on deck in bad weather,
openings to below deck must be watertight or weathertight, and so on.
Load line requirements have existed for a very long time and can be regarded as well settled
technically. They are necessary to public safety in marine transport.
. /.
G/TBT/N/CAN/188
Page 2
The proposed Regulations would consist of three parts.
Part 1, Circle Load Lines, would pertain to vessels engaged on international voyages and
vessels not exclusively operating in Canadian inland waters, including the Great Lakes. This
Part would replace the General Load Line Rules and the Load Line Regulations (Sea).
Part 2, Diamond Load Lines, would concern vessels operating exclusively in Canadian
inland waters, including the Great Lakes. This Part would replace the Load Line Rules for
Lakes and Rivers and the Load Line Regulations (Inland).
Part 3 would repeal the existing regulations concerning load lines under the Canada
Shipping Act.
Circle Load Lines would incorporate, by reference, the International Maritime
Organization's (IMO) International Convention on Load Lines, 1966 (the Convention) and
the 1988 Protocol relating to the Convention, as amended effective January 1, 2005 (the
Protocol). Canada has adopted the Convention, and the proposed Regulations would bring
Canadian requirements in line with the IMO's most recent amendments.
Note: The above is being notified to Members for transparency purposes only.
7.
Objective and rationale, including the nature of urgent problems where applicable:
Protection of human safety
8.
Relevant documents: Canada Gazette, Part I, 9 December 2006, Pages 4170-4201
(Available in English and French)
9.
Proposed date of adoption:
Proposed date of entry into force:
10.
Final date for comments: 8 January 2007
11.
Texts available from: National enquiry point [ X ] or address, telephone and fax
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:
}
Not stated
The electronic version of the regulatory text can be downloaded at:
http://canadagazette.gc.ca/partI/2006/20061209/pdf/g1-14049.pdf