Open letter of the Chairperson and the Executive Secretary of CESNI 20 May 2020

The Chair and the Executive Secretary of the CESNI, call upon CESNI Members, Observer States and Third States, for the duration of the crisis, not to impose penalties should the validity periods of certificates, attestations and other documents be exceeded, provided that a) the said certificates, attestations and other documents were still valid on 15 March 2020 and b) the safety and operational continuity of inland navigation and inland waterways are not endangered, and call upon the sector and inspection bodies, as best they are able, to continue with or resume inspection and certification processes to avoid an administrative backlog and the interruption of vital business for ship repair enterprises to the greatest extent possible.