
1 
These Regulations may be cited as the Merchant Shipping (Officer Nationality) Regulations 1995 and shall come into force on 1st August 1995.
2 
In these Regulations:
 “cruise ship” means a passenger ship of Class I (within the meaning of the Merchant Shipping (Passenger Ship Construction and Survey) Regulations 1984) certified to carry more than 200 passengers;
 “British registered fishing vessel” means a fishing vessel registered in the register of British ships established under section 1 of the Merchant Shipping (Registration, etc.) Act 1993;
 “length”, in relation to a British registered fishing vessel, means the register length shown on the vessel’s certificate of registry;
 “product tanker” means either an oil tanker constructed for the carriage of petroleum products in bulk or a chemical tanker constructed for the carriage in bulk of any liquid chemical listed in the “International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk (IBC Code)”, 1990 Edition, published by the International Maritime Organisation;
 “ro-ro ship” means a ship provided with cargo or vehicle spaces in which cargo or vehicles can be loaded and unloaded in a horizontal direction;
 “strategic ship” means—
(a) a British registered fishing vessel of 24 metres or more in length; or
(b) a United Kingdom ship of 500 tons or more which is a cruise ship, a product tanker, or a ro-ro ship;
 “tons” means gross tons and the tonnage of a ship shall be—
(a) in the case of a ship having alternative tonnages under paragraph 13 of Schedule 5 to the Merchant Shipping (Tonnage) Regulations 1982, the larger of those tonnages; and
(b) in the case of a ship having its tonnage determined under both Part II and regulation 16 of those Regulations, its gross tonnage as determined under regulation 16;
 “United Kingdom ship” has the same meaning as in section 21(2) of the Merchant Shipping Act 1979.
3 
Without prejudice to the Merchant Shipping (Certification of Deck Officers) Regulations 1985, the Merchant Shipping (Certification of Marine Engineer Officers and Licensing of Marine Engine Operators) Regulations 1986 or the Fishing Vessels (Certification of Deck Officers and Engineer Officers) Regulations 1984, the master of every strategic ship shall be:
(a) a Commonwealth citizen; or
(b) an EEA national; or
(c) a national of a State (other than an EEA State) which is a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
Signed by authority of the Secretary of State for Transport
Goschen
Parliamentary Under Secretary of State,
Department of Transport
1st June 1995