A corrigendum to Directive (EU) 2023/946 on ship stability, published by the Council on 3 July 2026, corrects linguistic errors in the German and Slovenian versions of the text. The corrections ensure uniform interpretation of improved stability requirements for ro-ro passenger ships across all EU languages.
The corrigendum addresses two specific errors. In the German version, the phrase 'ab dem 5. Dezember 2024' (from 5 December 2024) is corrected to 'bis zum 5. Dezember 2024' (until 5 December 2024), clarifying that existing ro-ro passenger ships in regular service must continue meeting prior stability standards until that date. In the Slovenian version, the definition of significant wave height values is clarified: the corrected text specifies values with a maximum 10% probability of exceedance per year, replacing the ambiguous phrasing 'not likely to be exceeded by more than 10% per year'.
Directive (EU) 2023/946, adopted on 10 May 2023, amends Directive 2003/25/EC to include improved stability requirements for ro-ro passenger ships and align them with International Maritime Organization standards. The corrigendum follows Procedure 2(b) for obvious errors and has been transmitted to the European Parliament for observations within eight days.
The corrections prevent misapplication of stability requirements by maritime operators and national authorities, reducing legal uncertainty. The German version's correction clarifies the transitional period for existing ships, while the Slovenian version's correction ensures precise application of wave height criteria. No other language versions are affected.