L 257/146 Official Journal of the European Union 28.8.2014 DIRECTIVE 2014/90/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 23 July 2014 on marine equipment and repealing Council Directive 96/98/EC (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) The global dimension of shipping calls for the Union to apply and support the international regulatory framework for maritime safety. The international maritime safety conventions require flag States to ensure that the equipment carried on board ships complies with certain safety requirements as regards design, construction and performance, and to issue the relevant certificates. To that end, detailed performance and testing standards for certain types of marine equipment have been developed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and by the international and European standardisation bodies. (2)  The international instruments leave a significant margin of discretion to the flag administrations. In the absence of harmonisation, this leads to varying levels of safety for products which the competent national authorities have certified as complying with those conventions and standards; as a result, the smooth functioning of the internal market is affected as it becomes difficult for the Member States to accept equipment certified in another Member State to be placed on board ships flying their flags without further verification. (3)  Harmonisation by the Union resolves these problems. Council Directive 96/98/EC (%) thus laid down common rules to eliminate differences in the implementation of international standards by means of a clearly identified set of requirements and uniform certification procedures. 4) There are various other instruments of Union law which lay down requirements and conditions, inter alia, in order to ensure the free movement of goods within the internal market or for environmental purposes, for certain products which are similar in nature to equipment used on board ships but which do not meet the international () OJ C 161, 6.6.2013, p. 93. (%) Position of the European Parliament of 15 April 2014 (not yet published in the Official Journal) and decision of the Council of 23 July 2014. (}) Council Directive 96/98/EC of 20 December 1996 on marine equipment (O] L 46, 17.2.1997, p. 25).