No L 21/10 Official Journal of the European Communities 29. 1. 76 COUNCIL DIRECTIVE of 20 January 1976 on reciprocal recognition of navigability licences for inland waterway vessels (76/135/EEC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Article 75 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, Having regard to the opinion of the European Parlia- ment (1), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (2), Whereas reciprocal recognition of navigability licences for inland waterway vessels should be achieved as a first step towards improving the safety of inland navigation in the Community ; Whereas it is necessary to establish under what circumstances and on what conditions Member States may interrupt the passage of a vessel; Whereas it is necessary to fix a time limit for the adop- tion of common technical requirements, and whereas this Directive should be valid only until these common provisions come into force, HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE : Article 1 This Directive shall apply to: (a) vessels used for goods transport and having a total dead weight of 20 metric tons or more, including tugs and pusher craft, (b) vessels used for the transport of more than 12 passengers, on inland waterways. This Directive shall not preju- dice the provisions laid down in the Regulation on inspection of shipping on the Rhine and in the Agree- ment on transport of dangerous goods on the Rhine (ADNR). Avrticle 2 1. Member States shall, to the extent required, lay down any necessary procedures for the issue of naviga- bility licences. (") OJ No C 280, 8. 12. 1975, p. 71. (%) Opinion delivered 27. ll 1975 (not yet published in the Official Journal). However, a Member State may exempt from this Directive vessels which do not leave the inland water- ways of its territory. 2. Navigability licences shall be issued by the Member State in which the vessel is registered or has its home port or, failing that, by the Member State in which the owner of the vessel 1s domiciled. Any Member State may request another Member State to issue navigability licences for vessels operated by nationals of the former. Member States may delegate their powers to approved bodies. 3. Navigability licences shall be made out in a Community language, and shall provide at least the information and use the system of numbering speci- fied in the Annex. Article 3 1. Subject to paragraphs 3 to 6, each Member State shall recognize for navigation on its national water- ways the navigability licences issued by another Member State in accordance with Article 2 on the same basis as if it had issued the licences itself. 2. Paragraph 1 shall apply only if the licence was issued or last extended not more than five years previ- ously and has not expired. The certificate issued pursuant to the Regulation on inspection of shipping on the Rhine shall be accepted as evidence, within the meaning of paragraphs 3 and S, for its full duration. 3. Member States may require that the technical specifications laid down in the Regulation on inspec- tion of shipping on the Rhine are complied with. They may require the certificate referred to in para- graph 2 (2) us proof of this. 4.  Member States may require vessels carrying dangerous goods as defined in the ADNR to comply with the requirements laid down in this Agreement. As proof of this, they may require that the authoriza- tion provided for in this Agreement be produced.