10.12.2013 Official Journal of the European Union L 329/1 (Legislative acts) DIRECTIVES DIRECTIVE 2013/54/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 20 November 2013 concerning certain flag State responsibilities for compliance with and enforcement of the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (Text with EEA relevance) THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, and in particular Article 100(2) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the European Commission, After transmission of the draft legislative act to the national parliaments, Having regard to the opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee (1), After consulting the Committee of the Regions, Acting in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure (3), Whereas: (1) Union action in the field of maritime transport aims, inter alia, to improve the shipboard living and working conditions of seafarers, security and safety at sea and to prevent pollution caused by maritime accidents. (2)  The Union is aware of the fact that most accidents at sea are directly caused by human factors, especially fatigue. (3)  One of the main objectives of the maritime safety policy of the Union is to eradicate substandard shipping. (4)  On 23 February 2006, the International Labour Organi- sation (ILO), desiring to create a single, coherent and up- to-date instrument that also embodies the fundamental () OJ C 299, 4.10.2012, p. 153. (3) Position of the European Parliament of 8 October 2013 (not yet published in the Oftficial Journal) and decision of the Council of 15 November 2013. principles to be found in other international labour conventions, adopted the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC 2006). (5)  According to Article VIII thereof, the MLC 2006 is to come into force 12 months after the date on which there have been registered ratifications by at least 30 Members of the ILO with a total share in the world gross tonnage of ships of 33 %. This condition was fulfilled on 20 August 2012, and MLC 2006 therefore entered into force on 20 August 2013. (6)  Council Decision 2007[431/EC () authorised the Member States to ratify MLC 2006, and Member States are urged to do so as soon as possible. (7)  MLC 2006 sets out minimum global standards to ensure the right of all seafarers to decent living and working conditions, irrespective of their nationality and irre- spective of the flag of the ships on which they serve, and to establish a level playing field. (8)  Various parts of MLC 2006 have been introduced into different Union instruments both as regards flag State and port State obligations. The aim of this Directive is to introduce certain compliance and enforcement provi- sions, envisaged in Title 5 of MLC 2006, which relate to those parts of MLC 2006 in respect of which the required compliance and enforcement provisions have not yet been adopted. Those parts correspond to the elements set out in the Annex to Council Directive 2009/13/EC (4). (}) Council Decision 2007/431/EC of 7 of June 2007 authorising Member States to ratify, in the interests of the European Community, the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006, of the Inter- national Labour Organisation (O] L 161, 22.6.2007, p. 63). (*) Council Directive 2009/13/EC of 16 February 2009 implementing the Agreement concluded by the European Community Shipowners’ Associations (ECSA) and the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) on the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 and amending Directive 1999/63/EC (O] L 124, 20.5.2009, p. 30).