Local Agent Mandatory for Vessels Over 45m in Croatian Waters

The Croatian government has announced a new regulation requiring superyachts above 45m cruising in Croatian territorial waters to appoint a local agent.  This is an extension of EU Directive 2002/59/EC, which used to apply only to commercial vessels in Croatia.

With immediate effect, any vessel above 45m arriving in a Croatian port without an appointed agent will not be granted customs clearance. Implementation of Directive 2002/59/EC will be monitored by the Croatian Maritime Information System (CIMIS), which is only available to registered Croatian agents.

It is hoped that closer monitoring of maritime traffic will improve safety and security, as well as protection of the environment and control of pollution. However, this latest news could not come at a worse time, coinciding with the height of the Mediterranean yachting season and in a popular region, thus far relatively uncomplicated by local restrictions.

*Image credit: Connie Ma via Flikr By SA 2.0