Republike Slovenije
Jakob Presečnik l. r.
Za Vlado
Romunije
Miron Tudor Mitrea l. r.
The Government of the Republic of Slovenia and the Government of Romania, hereinafter referred to as the “Contracting Parties”,
Desiring to secure harmonious development of the maritime commercial transport between their States,
Observing the principle of freedom of the international commercial navigation between their States,
Considering that both Contracting Parties shall render each other the fullest possible assistance for the establishment of bilateral and multilateral relations between their organisations and offices responsible for the maritime transport activities,
Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1
The aim of the present Agreement is to:
– Organise and develop the bilateral relations between the two States, in the field of maritime transport;
– Ensure the best co-ordination of the maritime transport activities;
– Avoid any action which may harm the normal development of the maritime transport activities;
– Promote general development of commercial and economic relations between the two States.
ARTICLE 2
For the purpose of the present Agreement, the terms have following definition:
1. “Territory of the State of one Contracting Party” means the area of land and waters between the State borders of the Republic of Slovenia, or, respectively, of Romania, including the soil, underground and inland waters, internal maritime waters and territorial sea, as well as the air space above them, on which the Republic of Slovenia, or respectively, Romania exerts sovereign rights.
2. “National waters of the State of one Contracting Party” m eans the inland waters, internal maritime waters and territorial sea, on which the Republic of Slovenia, or, respectively, Romania exerts sovereign rights.
3. “Competent Authority” means:
– for the Government of the Republic of Slovenia – Ministry of Transport
– for the Government of Romania – the Ministry of Public Works, Transport and Housing
In case any of the Competent Authority mentioned in this paragraph is changed, the name of the new authority shall be notified to the other Contracting Party through diplomatic channels.
4. “vessels of the State of one Contracting Party” means the seagoing merchant vessels registered in its shipping register and entitled to fly the flag of its State, according to the legislation in force in this State.
The provisions of the present Agreement shall not be applied to:
a. warships and vessels for transport of armed forces;
b. vessels exclusively used for military purpose;
c. vessels used for Governmental services;
d. research vessels;
e. nuclear vessels;
f. fishing vessels;
g. entertainment boat with or without mechanical propulsion;
h. vessels used for public services;
i. vessels used for non-commercial purpose.
5. “maritime transport company” means a legal person registered according to the legislation in force on the State territory of one Contracting Party and who owns or operates vessels.
6. “crew member” means any person actually employed for duties on board during a voyage in the working or service of a vessel and included in the crew list.
7. “passengers” means those persons carried with the vessel of the State of either Contracting Party who are not engaged in any capacity on board and whose names are included in the passenger list of this vessel.
8. “ports of the State of one Contracting Party” means the parts of the territory of the State of one Contracting Party, opened for the international shipping, for loading, unloading or transhipment of goods and / or passengers, as well as officially authorised mooring places, including roadsteads.
9. “chartered vessel” means any vessel registered in the State of one Contracting Party or third State and chartered by a maritime transport company of the State of either Contracting Party”.
ARTICLE 3
The present Agreement shall be applied in the territory of the Republic of Slovenia and in the territory of Romania.
However, the provisions of this Agreement shall not be applied to:
a) the activities which, according to the national legislation of either Contracting Party, are reserved for their own companies and organisations such as cabotage, tug services, pilotage, ports services, maritime assistance and fishing operations carried on in the national waters of the State of either Contracting Party;
b) the regulations regarding the admission and stay of foreigners, not crew members, in the territory of the State of either Contracting Party.
ARTICLE 4
1. The Contracting Parties shall render each other every possible help for the development of commercial transport between their States and shall refrain from taking any measure that may harm the normal progress of the free international navigation.
For that purpose, the Contracting Parties agree as follows:
a) to facilitate the participation of the vessels of the State of each Contracting Party and chartered vessels to the transportation of goods between the ports of their States, and to co-operate for the elimination of any obstacles that may affect the development of this transportation;
b) not to create obstacles for the vessels of the State of either Contracting Party and chartered vessels in carrying goods between the ports of their States and ports of third States.
2. The provisions of the paragraph 1 of this Article shall not prejudice the right of the vessels flying the flag of third States to participate in the sea traffic between the ports of the State of each Contracting Party and the ports of third States.
ARTICLE 5
1. The State of each Contracting Party shall, on condition of reciprocity, grant the vessels of the State of the other Contracting Party, the same treatment as it grants to its own vessels, in respect of access to its ports, use of ports for loading and unloading of cargoes and embarking and disembarking of passengers, using all the navigational services available.
2. The provisions of paragraph (1) of this Article shall not oblige either of the State of the Contracting Parties to apply such treatment in respect to the exemption from the compulsory pilotage requirements granted to its own vessels.
ARTICLE 6
1. The nationality or registry, tonnage measurement and safety certificates, and other vessel documents, issued or recognised by the Competent Authority of one of the Contracting Party, shall be recognised by the Competent Authority of the other Contracting Party.
2. Documents of a vessel of the State of one Contracting Party, including the tonnage measurement certificates, issued by the Competent Authority of the respective Contracting Party in accordance with the accepted international maritime regulations, shall be recognised by the Competent Authority of the other Contracting Party.
ARTICLE 7
1. Each Contracting Party shall recognise the identity documents issued according to the national legislation of the other Contracting Party for the crew members or passengers on board of the vessels.
The identity documents are the seaman’s book or passport.
2. For the crew members of third States working on board of the vessels of the State of either Contracting Party, the identity documents are those issued according to the national legislation of the said States.
ARTICLE 8
1. In accordance with “Seafarers’ Identity Documents Convention, No.108" (Geneva, May 13, 1958 – General Conference of International Labour Organisation) the crew members included in the crew list of a vessel of the State of one Contracting Party, holding identity documents, specified in Article 7 of the present Agreement, shall be allowed to go ashore and circulate without visa in the ports of the State of the other Contracting Party, according to the national laws and regulations of this Contracting Party.
2. Crew members or passengers of the State of either Contracting Party, holding identity documents, as specified in Article 7 of the present Agreement, may enter the territory or travel through the territory of the State of the other Contracting Party, in the event of a maritime casualty or other disaster, for the purpose of joining vessels, repatriation or any other reason acceptable by the Competent Authority of this Contracting Party, after complying with the national laws and regulations of the respective Contracting Party.
In such cases, if the national legislation of the respective Contracting Party provides the issue of visa, this visa shall be issued in the shortest possible time.
ARTICLE 9
1. Each Contracting Party shall render the necessary medical help to the crew members of the vessel of the State of the other Contracting Party, on the basis of the national legislation of the respective Contracting Party.
2. The crew members of the State of one Contracting Party, which are under medical treatment, will have the permission to enter the territory and remain on the territory of the State of the other Contracting Party, during the necessary treatment period, in accordance with the national laws and regulations of the respective Contracting Party.
ARTICLE 10
1. Notwithstanding the provisions of Articles 7, 8 and 9 of the present Agreement, the national legislation of each Contracting Party concerning the persons’ enter, remain and leave on/from the territories of their States shall prevail.
2. Each Contracting Party reserve its right to refuse enter in the territory of their State of the persons having identity documents as specified in Articles 7, 8 and 9 of the present Agreement, if these persons are considered undesirable.
ARTICLE 11
1. If a vessel of the State of one Contracting Party runs aground, casts ashore or suffers any other accident, in the national waters of the State of the other Contracting Party, that vessel and its cargo shall receive the same protection that is granted to the vessels of the State of the other Contracting Party and their cargo.
The captain, crew members and passengers on board of a vessel of the State of one Contracting Party who have suffered damage, shall be granted at any time the same assistance, help and protection provided to the persons from that State in which national waters the incident took place.
2. When cargo on board of the vessel of the State of one Contracting Party involved in a maritime casualty needs to be discharged and stored temporarily in the territory of the State of the other Contracting Party before its return to the State of shipment or carriage to third States, this other Contracting Party shall facilitate this operation and such cargo shall be exempted from all custom duties provided they are not intended for consumption or use in the territory of the State of this Contracting Party.
3. The provisions of paragraph 2 of this Article shall not prevail over the national laws and regulations of each Contracting Party, concerning the temporary storage of goods.
4. The provisions of this Article shall not affect other claims raised in connection with the salvage and assistance rendered to a damaged vessel, its crew, passengers, cargo and properties.
ARTICLE 12
1. When a crew member of a vessel of the State of one Contracting Party has committed a crime on board of that vessel in the national waters of the State of the other Contracting Party, the judicial authorities of the State of this Contracting Party shall not prosecute him without the request of the master of the vessel or of a diplomatic or consular representative of the State of respective Contracting Party, unless:
a) the consequences of the crime extend to its State; or
b) the crime is of a kind to disturb the peace of its State or the good order of the national waters of that State; or
c) the crime concerns illicit traffic of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances.
2. The provisions of paragraph 1 of this Article do not affect the right of the State of either Contracting Party to take any steps authorised by its national legislation for the purpose of arrest or investigation on board of foreign vessels passing through the national waters even after leaving the internal maritime waters.
ARTICLE 13
1. The maritime transport companies of either Contracting Party shall have the right to use income and other revenue obtained in freely convertible currency within the territory of the State of the other Contracting Party and deriving from maritime transport operations, for the purpose of making payments in the territory of the State of that Contracting Party. After the payment of all amounts due locally, including taxes and duties, if any, the net profit shall be remitted abroad at the official rate of exchange.
2. In the case where there is an agreement on avoiding the double taxation between the Contracting Parties, the provisions of that Agreement shall prevail.
ARTICLE 14
1. The Contracting Parties shall encourage the maritime transport companies to establish, under conditions of economic efficiency, regular shipping lines between ports of the two States to be used by their States vessels and chartered vessels on the principle of equality and mutual benefits.
2. The Contracting Parties shall stimulate the use of modern technologies in the maritime transports.
ARTICLE 15
In order to ensure an efficient development of the maritime transport activities, the maritime transport companies of either Contracting Party may establish agencies and perform acquisitions on the territory of the State of the other Contracting Party, according to the legislation in force in that State.
ARTICLE 16
1. Each Contracting Party shall take all the necessary measures to ensure the safety of vessels, crew members, passengers, cargo and other persons and properties on board the vessels of the State of the other Contracting Party, while vessels are in the national waters or ports of their States.
In particular, these measures shall aim the protection of the vessels against any unlawful actions, which may endanger the safety of vessels, crew members, passengers, its cargo and other persons and properties on board the vessels, as well as the operations or port services related to those vessels.
2. If either Contracting Party foresees any unlawful action in the ports or national waters of its State against a vessel of the State of the other Contracting Party, it shall take immediately all the necessary measures to prevent that unlawful action as well as to protect the vessel, crew members, passengers, cargo and other persons and properties on board of this vessel.
3. In the event of an unlawful action taking place in the port or national waters of the State of one Contracting Party, that Contracting Party shall immediately take necessary measures according to its national legislation to end that action.
4. Both Contracting Parties shall immediately inform the consular office or diplomatic mission of the State of the other Contracting Party about the measures undertaken to prevent or to end the unlawful action mentioned above.
ARTICLE 17
1. For the purpose of ensuring the effective implementation of this Agreement, a Joint Committee is set up composed of experts appointed by the Competent Authorities.
2. The Joint Committee shall consider matters of mutual interest in the field of shipping and deal with any persistent problem, which may arise in the course of the application of this Agreement.
3. The Joint Committee is convened at the request of either Contracting Party.
ARTICLE 18
Any dispute regarding the interpretation or application of the present Agreement shall be settled by the Joint Committee.
If this committee can not reach any conclusion, this dispute shall be settled through diplomatic channels.
ARTICLE 19
The present Agreement shall enter into force on the date of the receipt of the last notification by which either Contracting Party has notified the other Contracting Party that its national legal procedure for entering into force of this Agreement has been completed.
ARTICLE 20
The present Agreement may be amended by mutual consent of the Contracting Parties.
Any amendments thereto shall enter into force after completion of the procedures stipulated in Article 19.
ARTICLE 21
In respect of the navigation on the maritime Danube the provisions of the present Agreement shall apply taking into account the legal regime of the navigation on Danube, regulated by the Convention on the Navigation Regime on the Danube (Belgrade, August 18, 1948), and by the Convention on the Protection and the Sustainable Use of the Danube River (Sofia, June 29, 1994).
ARTICLE 22
The Contracting Parties shall endeavour to ratify the international agreements and conventions related to the vessels’ safety, social conditions of the seafarers, the carriage of dangerous goods and the protection of the marine environment.
ARTICLE 23
The present Agreement shall be concluded for a period of two years and shall be tacitly renewed for successive periods of one year. In case one of the Contracting Parties intends not to renew the validity of the Agreement, this Contracting Party shall notify in written form the other Contracting Party of its intention, at least 6 (six) months before the expire date of the validity of the Agreement.
In witness whereof, the undersigned, being duly authorised by their respective Governments, have signed this Agreement.
Done in Bucarest on May, 28th 2002 in two originals, each of them in the Slovene, Romanian and English languages, all texts being equally authentic. In case of any divergence of interpretation, the English text shall prevail.
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