No L 145/10 Official Journal of the European Communities 19. 6. 96 COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 96/35/EC of 3 June 1996 on the appointment and vocational qualification of safety advisers for the transport of dangerous goods by road, rail and inland waterway THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 75 thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission ('), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (%), Acting in accordance with the procedure laid down in Article 189c of the Treaty (%), Whereas over a number of years the quantities of dan- gerous goods transported nationally and internationally have increased considerably, increasing the risk of acci- dents; Whereas some of the accidents which occur when dan- gerous goods are transported may be caused by insuffi- cient knowledge of the risks inherent in such transport; Whereass it is necessary, in the context of the completion of the single market in transport, to adopt measures to improve the prevention of the risks inherent in such transport; Whereas Council Directive 89/391/EEC of 12 June 1989 on the introduction of measures to encourage improve- ments in the safety and health of workers at work (¥) does not introduce measures to prevent the risks inherent in the transport of dangerous goods; Whereas undertakings involved in the transport or the related loading or unloading of dangerous goods should be required to comply with the rules on the prevention of the risks inherent in the transport of dangerous goods, whether by road, rail or inland waterway; whereas, to that end, the appointment of safety advisers for the transport of dangerous goods who have received appropriate voca- tional training should be prescribed; () OJ No C 185, 17.7.1991, p. § and OJ No C 233, 11.9. 1992, s p. 5. (3 Opinion delivered on 27 November 1991 (O] No C 40, 17. 2. 1992, p. 46). () European Parliament Opinion of 15 May 1992 (O] No C 150, 15. 6. 1992, p. 332), Council common position of 6 October 1995 {OJ No C 297, 10. 11. 1995, p. 13) and European Parli- ament Decision of 17 January 1996 (O] No C 32, 5. 2. 1996, p. 49). () OJ No L 183, 29. 6. 1989, p. 1. Whereas the objective of the vocational training of such safety advisers must be knowledge of the essential laws, regulations and administrative provisions applicable to such transport; Whereas the Member States must set up a common minimum framework for vocational training attested to by success in an examination; Whereas the Member States must issue Community-type certificates attesting to advisers’ vocational qualifications so that the possessors of such certificates may then prac- tise their trade throughout the Community; Whereas the vocational qualification of safety advisers will help to improve the quality of the service they provide in the interests of users; whereas such vocational qualifica- tion will also help to minimize the risk of accidents which may cause irreversible damage to the environment and serious injury to other persons who may come into contact with dangerous goods, HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE: Article 1 Aim The Member States shall take the necessary measures in accordance with the requirements of this Directive to ensure that no later than 31 December 1999 undertakings the activities of which include the transport, or the related loading or unloading, of dangerous goods by road, rail or inland waterway each appoint one or more safety advisers for the transport of dangerous goods, responsible for helping to prevent the risks inherent in such activities with regard to persons, property and the environment. Article 2 Definitions For the purposes of this Directive: (a) ‘undertaking’ shall mean any natural person, any legal person, whether profit-making or not, any association or group of persons without legal personality, whether profit-making or not, or any official body, whether it has legal personality itself or is dependent upon an authority that has such personality, that transports, loads or unloads dangerous goods;