The
general objective of the EU SHIPSAN ACT Joint Action (2013-2016) was to strengthen an integrated strategy and sustainable mechanisms at the European Union level for safeguarding the health of travellers and crew of passenger and cargo ships and preventing the cross-border spread of diseases, improving citizens' health security.
Actions focused on prevention, identification, assessment and link with existing mechanisms for response coordination to serious cross border threats to health caused by chemical biological and radiological agents. Actions facilitated the implementation of EU legislation:
1. Decisions 2119/98/EC, 2000/57/EC, linking SHIPSAN communication platform with existing systems,
2. Directive 2010/65/EU, by supporting European Maritime Safety Agency to implement Maritime Declaration of Health,
3. Directive 2009/13/EC, by developing an outline of a risk assessment tool for occupational health on ships,
4. the International Health Regulation, by supporting core capacities Annex 1 b by training, inspections, contingency planning guidance and International Health Regulation provisions for conveyances and conveyance operators including Ship Sanitation Certificate.
The specific objectives of the Joint Action were:
1. To produce a report describing evidence for events and consequences due to biological, chemical and radiological agents including communicable diseases in all types of ships; training needs for core capacities under International Health Regulation and practices related to fishing vessels and inland waterways in at least 18 European Union Member States, by month 24
2. To develop guidance on risk assessment and response to chemical/radiological events (accidental/deliberate release) on ships, by month 16, to be used as part of the IHR contingency planning at points of entry of European Union Member States
3. To develop an outline of a risk assessment tool for occupational and public health risks per cargo ship type, by month 24
4. To increase port health staff and crew competencies on prevention/risk assessment/response to biological, chemical and radiologicalthreats including communicable diseases by training more than 5 trainers within each European Union Member State and by e-learning courses available to staff in all European Union Member States and companies operating in European Union
5. To improve quality of inspections and bring a consistent/proportionate approach to inspection of all ship types, by providing on the job training, issuing yearly inspection schedule, operating information tools for recording/sharing inspection results.
6. To maintain and update SHIPSAN information tools for Maritime Declaration of Health transmission, risk assessment/response to events, issuance of Ship Sanitation Certificate and information communication and support establishment of the National Single Window (Directive 2010/65/EU) in relation to Maritime Declaration of Health.