On December 26, 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine approved a draft law that provides for changes in the sphere of merchant shipping and shipping on inland waterways.
❗️ Important: This is still a draft law; it has not yet been adopted by the Verkhovna Rada and has not entered into force, but it will be submitted to parliament in this form.
📌 What is being proposed:
1️⃣ Certification and certification of seafarers
Planned:
- Clarification and expansion of standards for certification of seafarers,
- Inclusion of a full list of crew members of sea and river vessels,
- Extension of requirements to include fishing vessels and ratings,
- Alignment of Ukrainian requirements with international treaties and EU legislation.
2️⃣ New rules for the qualification of inland navigation crews
Provides for:
- revision of the list of positions,
- clarification of qualification documents,
- rules for their issuance and validity,
- consideration of age and medical conditions,
- clear definition of exceptions.
3️⃣ Reform of shipping management and safety
The bill:
- clarifies the status of the seaport master,
- redistributes powers between:
- the Ministry of Development,
- the Shipping Administration,
- port masters,
- introduces modern approaches to:
- vessel traffic regulation,
- pilotage,
- safety monitoring.
4️⃣ Electronic Registers and Digitalization
Planned:
- Bringing maritime and river registers into compliance with the laws “On Public Electronic Registers,”
- Eliminating duplicate paper procedures,
- Transitioning to electronic administrative services
5️⃣ Reducing bureaucracy and eliminating unnecessary paperwork
One of the key areas:
- Simplifying vessel registration,
- Eliminating the unjustified division of vessels into 13 categories and 5 subcategories,
- Eliminating documents that do not carry legal force,
- Reducing administrative barriers.
6️⃣ Abolition of licensing for certain types of activities
It is proposed to abolish licensing for:
- passenger transportation,
- transportation of hazardous goods
on sea and inland waterway transport,
👉 since these licenses duplicate other forms of state control and contradict the basic licensing law.
7️⃣ Ecology and Ports
The bill introduces:
- modern requirements for waste management from ships in seaports,
- international approaches to environmental safety.
⚠️ What is important for seafarers to understand now
🔘 No rules have changed yet
🔘 Diplomas, certificates, and procedures are still in effect.
🔘 Real changes are possible only after the law is adopted by the Rada, published, and enters into force.
However, the bill directly affects certification, qualifications, administration, and oversight, so its progress in parliament must be closely monitored.
📢 We’ll be following the news, breaking down each clause of the bill article by article, and explaining the practical implications for seafarers.
Seamen’s Club 🇺🇦 | #news