Organizations involved in rescue operations at sea have accused the German government of violating the coalition agreement by amending the Ship Safety Ordinance and imposing new safety conditions.
According to a draft bill by the transport ministry, Germany also wants vessels smaller than 79 feet in length to have high safety standards. However, rescue organizations have criticized the initiative, claiming it is too expensive. As a result, they claim that their rescue operations are being hampered.
"The new rules mean that most German-flagged civilian rescue ships will have to limit or stop life-saving operations," the NGO said in a statement.
The statement added, "The new terms are a clear violation of the German government's coalition agreement." Civil organizations should not be hindered in sea rescue operations by taking such steps.
However, a spokesperson of the Ministry of Transport said, "Through this, we are not hindering their rescue work, but rather making their work safer."
The German government wants ships to meet modern safety standards.
But since civilian agencies began rescue operations in the Mediterranean in 2015, there have been no accidents or safety lapses, the agencies said.
Source: Deutsche Welle

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