7.7.95 Official Journal of the European Communities No L 157/1 (Acts whose publication is obligatory) COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 95/21/EC of 19 June 1995 concerning the enforcement, in respect of shipping using Community ports and sailing in the waters under the jurisdiction of the Member States, of international standards for ship safety, pollution prevention and shipboard living and working conditions (port State control) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Article 84 (2) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission (1), Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social Committee (2), Acting in accordance with Article 189¢c of the Treaty (%), Whereas the Community is seriously concerned about shipping casualties and pollution of the seas and coastlines of the Member States; Whereas the Community is equally concerned about on-board living and working conditions; Whereas the Council, at its meeting on 25 January 1993, adopted conclusions that urged the Community and the Member States to ensure more effective application and enforcement of adequate international maritime safety and environment protection standards and to implement the new measures when adopted; Whereas, in its resolution of 8 June 1993 on a common policy on safe seas (%), the Council urged the Commission to submit as soon as possible to the Council suggestions for specific action and formal proposals concerning criteria  for the inspection of ships, including the harmonization of detention rules, and including the possibility of publication of the results of the inspections and refusal of access to Community ports; Whereas safety, pollution prevention and shipboard living and working conditions may be effectively enhanced (Y OJ No C 107, 15. 4. 1994, p. 14 and O] No C 347, 8. 12. 1944, p. 15. (*) O] No 393, 31. 12. 1994, p. 50. (*) Opinion of the European Parliament of 27 October 1994 (O] No C 347, 8. 12. 1994, p. 15), Council common position of 14 March 1995 (O] No C 93, 13. 4. 1995, p. 25) and European Parliament Decision of 18 May 1995 (not yet published in the Official Journal). () O] No C 271, 7. 10. 1993, p. 1. through a drastic reduction of substandard ships from Community waters, by strictly applying international Conventions, codes and resolutions; Whereas monitoting the compliance of ships with the international standards for safety, pollution prevention and shipboard living and working conditions should rest primarily with the flag State; whereas, however, there is a serious failure on the part of an increasing number of flag States to implement and enforce international standards; whereas henceforth the monitoring of compliance with the international standards for safety, pollution prevention and shipboard living and working conditions has also to be ensured by the port State; Whereas a harmonized approach to the effective enforcement of these international standards by the Member States in respect of ships sailing in the waters under their jurisdiction and using their ports will avoid distortions of competition; Whereas a framework in  Community law for harmonizing inspection procedures is fundamental to ensuring the homogeneous application of the principles of shipping safety and prevention of pollution which lie at the heart of Community transport and environment policies; Whereas pollution of the seas is by nature a trans-boundary phenomenon; whereas, in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity, the development of the means of taking preventive action in this field as regards the seas adjacent to the Member States is best done at Community level, since Member States cannot take adequate and effective action in isolation; Whereas the adoption of a Council Directive is the appropriate procedure for laying down the legal framework and the harmonized rules and criteria for port State control; Whereas advantage should be taken of the experience gained during the operation of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Port State Control (PSC), signed in Paris on 26 January 1982; Whereas the inspection by each Member State of at least 25% of the number of individual foreign ships which