Current issues concerning Croatian coast guard role in marine casualty investigation

Abstract

In the Republic of Croatia significant amendments of the Maritime Code are being prepared. Among the provisions outlined in the Draft proposal for amending the Maritime Code of August 2018 there are the provisions on marine casualty investigation (defining the concept of marine casualty, dividing marine casualties on very serious marine casualties and serious marine casualties, regulating the procedure of conducting marine casualty investigations and jurisdiction for their enforcement) adopted to improve maritime safety. In view of a continuing trend towards increasing numbers of marine casualties in EU, in this paper the author points out the importance of the topic and critically analyses certain provisions of the national legal system on marine casualties safety investigation activities (Draft proposal for amending the Maritime Code of 2018, Regulation on the manner and conditions for conducting safety investigations of marine casualties and incidents of 2015 and Coast Guard Law of the Republic of Croatia of 2007). The aim of this scientific research is to detect the deficiencies in the national normative framework of Coast Guard support in marine casualty investigations (jurisdiction of the Coast Guard overlapping with jurisdictions of other authorities - nondefinition of competent authorities’ joint affairs - nondefinition of the power, methods and procedures of Coast Guard assistance in the investigation of marine casualties) whose removal would contribute to the improvement of the system of safety investigations into marine casualties, identification of the causes of marine casualties and quality performance of the Coast Guard which is at the forefront of ensuring maritime safety.