Recreational Craft Directive 2013/53/EU

Last reviewed: October 2026 · Sources listed at the end of this page.

Directive 2013/53/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 20 November 2013 on recreational craft and personal watercraft — the "Recreational Craft Directive" or RCD — replaced Directive 94/25/EC and has applied since 18 January 2016. It covers recreational craft from 2.5 m to 24 m hull length, personal watercraft, propulsion engines (including engine modifications affecting power or emissions), and certain components placed on the market separately. Published as OJ L 354, 28.12.2013, p. 90.

Legal status and timeline

• Adoption: 20 November 2013.
• Date of application: 18 January 2016.
• Repeal of Directive 94/25/EC: 18 January 2016.
• Status in October 2026: applies.

Scope: products covered

Article 2(1) applies to:

• Recreational craft — watercraft of hull length 2.5 m to 24 m intended for sports and leisure;
• Personal watercraft (PWC) — watercraft for sports and leisure of less than 4 m hull length using a propulsion engine with a water jet pump as its primary source of propulsion, designed to be operated by a person or persons sitting, standing, or kneeling on, rather than within, the hull;
• Propulsion engines — spark or compression ignition internal combustion engines installed or specifically intended for installation on or in watercraft (Article 3(5)). Electric motors are not "propulsion engines" under this definition, although a craft using them remains recreational craft "regardless of the means of propulsion" (Article 3(2));
• Major engine modifications — modifications that could cause the engine to exceed the exhaust emission limits in Annex I, Part B, or that increase its rated power by more than 15%;
• Major craft conversions — converting the propulsion type, undertaking a major engine modification, or altering the craft to such an extent that it may no longer meet the applicable essential requirements;
• Components listed in Annex II when placed on the market separately for installation in recreational craft.

Annex II components

Ignition-protected equipment for inboard and stern drive petrol engines and petrol tank spaces; start-in-gear protection devices for outboard engines; steering wheels, steering mechanisms and cable assemblies; fuel tanks intended for fixed installations and fuel hoses; prefabricated hatches and port lights.

Exclusions (Article 2(2))

Point (a) excludes these from the design and construction requirements: watercraft intended solely for racing and labelled as such; canoes and kayaks designed to be propelled solely by human power, gondolas and pedalos; sailing surfboards and surfboards; original historical watercraft and individual replicas designed before 1950, labelled as such; experimental watercraft not placed on the market; watercraft built for own use and not placed on the market within five years of being put into service; watercraft intended to be crewed and to carry passengers for commercial purposes; submersibles; air cushion vehicles; hydrofoils; external combustion steam powered watercraft; and amphibious vehicles. Points (b) and (c) set narrower exclusions for exhaust and noise emissions. A craft that could also be used for charter or for training remains in scope if placed on the market for recreational purposes (Article 2(3)).

Design categories (Annex I, Part A, Section 1)

Recreational craft are designed for one of four design categories based on wind force and significant wave height the craft is designed to withstand:

• Category A — Ocean. Wind force exceeding Beaufort 8 and significant wave heights of 4 m or more, excluding abnormal conditions such as hurricane.
• Category B — Offshore. Wind force up to and including Beaufort 8 and significant wave heights up to and including 4 m.
• Category C — Inshore. Wind force up to and including Beaufort 6 and significant wave heights up to and including 2 m.
• Category D — Sheltered waters. Wind force up to and including Beaufort 4 and significant wave heights up to and including 0.3 m, with occasional 0.5 m.

Essential requirements (Annex I)

Annex I, Parts A (general requirements for craft), B (essential requirements for exhaust emissions from propulsion engines), and C (essential requirements for noise emissions from craft fitted with stern-drive engines without integral exhaust or inboard engines, from personal watercraft, and from outboard engines and stern-drive engines with integral exhaust).

Conformity assessment procedures

Articles 19–22 select from the modules in Annex II to Decision No 768/2008/EC. The available routes depend on the design category and craft type:

• Module A — Internal production control;
• Module A1 — Internal production control plus supervised product testing;
• Module B — EU type-examination;
• Module C — Conformity to type based on internal production control (with B);
• Module D — Production quality assurance (with B);
• Module E — Product quality assurance (with B);
• Module F — Conformity to type based on product verification (with B);
• Module G — Conformity based on unit verification;
• Module H — Conformity based on full quality assurance.

Article 20 sets the routes for design and construction; Articles 21 and 22 set separate routes for exhaust and noise emissions.

Worked example

A builder of a 7 m day boat in design category C can use Module A for design and construction only if it meets the harmonised standards on stability and freeboard and on buoyancy and flotation (points 3.2 and 3.3). If it does not, it must use a route involving a Notified Body, such as Module A1. A separate assessment is then needed for any exhaust and noise emissions: a craft with an inboard petrol engine, for example, follows Article 22(1) for noise, and the engine must meet Article 21 for exhaust.

Post-construction assessment (PCA)

Article 23 and Annex V provide a "post-construction assessment" procedure. Under Article 19(2), a private importer (a natural or legal person established in the Union who imports a product from a third country in the course of a non-commercial activity, with the intention of putting it into service for that person's own use) must use it where the manufacturer has not carried out the conformity assessment. Under Article 19(3) and (4), it also applies to anyone placing on the market or putting into service a craft or engine after a major modification or conversion, and to anyone placing a craft built for own use on the market within five years. The Notified Body assessment under PCA serves in place of the manufacturer's conformity assessment.

Technical documentation

Article 25 and Annex IX set the contents. Retention: 10 years after the product has been placed on the market (Article 7(3)). See technical documentation.

EU Declaration of Conformity

Article 15 and Annex IV. The Declaration must accompany watercraft, components placed on the market separately and propulsion engines (Article 15(4)). Partly completed watercraft are instead accompanied by the declaration in Annex III (Article 15(5)). See EU Declaration of Conformity.

Marking and labelling

Articles 17 and 18 require CE marking, followed by the Notified Body identification number where a Notified Body is involved in the production control phase or in the post-construction assessment (Article 18(3)). Annex I, Part A, Sections 2.1 and 2.2 require the craft to bear:

• A watercraft identification number (also known as the CIN), including the country code and unique code of the manufacturer, a unique serial number, the month and year of production and the model year, as detailed in EN ISO 10087;
• A builder's plate, mounted separately from the identification number, showing the manufacturer's name and contact address, the CE marking, the design category, the manufacturer's maximum recommended load and the recommended number of persons.

Harmonised standards

The EN ISO standard family for recreational craft includes:

• EN ISO 6185 series — inflatable boats;
• EN ISO 8666 — principal data;
• EN ISO 8665 — propulsion engine power;
• EN ISO 10087 — craft identification, coding system (the CIN);
• EN ISO 10133 / 13297 — electrical systems;
• EN ISO 11192 — graphical symbols for craft controls and displays;
• EN ISO 11812 — watertight cockpits and quick-draining;
• EN ISO 12215 series — hull construction and scantlings;
• EN ISO 12217 series — stability and buoyancy assessment and categorisation;
• EN ISO 14945 — builder's plate;
• EN ISO 14946 — maximum load capacity;
• EN ISO 15584 — inboard petrol engines (fuel and electrical components).

See harmonised standards.

Recent and upcoming changes

The Publications Office lists no amending act for the Directive as of October 2026. Article 52 required a Commission report by 18 January 2022 on further emission reductions and on the design categories, with legislative proposals where appropriate. We found no adopted amendment following it.

Related legislation

• Machinery Regulation 2023/1230 — Article 2(2)(e) excludes means of transport on water, except for machinery mounted on them.
• Marine Equipment Directive 2014/90/EU — applies to equipment on certain commercial ships, not recreational craft.
• EMC Directive 2014/30/EU — applies in parallel for EMC of electrical equipment in craft.
• Radio Equipment Directive 2014/53/EU — applies in parallel for radio equipment on craft.
• Battery Regulation 2023/1542 — applies in parallel for batteries used in electric/hybrid craft.

Common errors

• Design category mismatch. Marketing a Category C craft for offshore use is non-compliant; the design category is determined by stability and structure tests under EN ISO 12217 and related standards.
• Engine modification without re-assessment. A power increase of more than 15% or modification to emissions triggers a fresh conformity assessment.
• Missing builder's plate or CIN. Both are mandatory.
• Misuse of post-construction assessment. PCA is available only in the cases listed in Article 19(2)–(4) (private importers, major modifications or conversions, own-built craft sold within five years); manufacturers and commercial importers placing new products on the market must use the module routes in Articles 20–22.

Frequently asked questions

Does the Directive apply to a kayak with an electric motor?

It can. The exclusion covers canoes and kayaks designed to be propelled solely by human power. A kayak of 2.5 m to 24 m hull length designed with a motor for sports and leisure use is recreational craft regardless of the means of propulsion, so the Annex I, Part A design and construction requirements apply. The exhaust and noise parts concern combustion propulsion engines.

Does a boat under 2.5 m need CE marking under this Directive?

No. Recreational craft are defined as having a hull length from 2.5 m to 24 m. Personal watercraft are a separate category with a hull length under 4 m and a water jet pump as the primary means of propulsion. Other Union law, such as the General Product Safety Regulation for consumer products, may still apply.

Can I sell a boat I built myself?

A watercraft built for own use is excluded only if it is not placed on the Union market within five years of being put into service. If you sell it within that period, you must first use the post-construction assessment with a Notified Body (Article 19(4) and Annex V).

I imported a boat from outside the EU for my own use. What do I need?

If the manufacturer has not carried out the conformity assessment, a private importer established in the Union must apply the post-construction assessment before putting the boat into service (Article 19(2)).

What does design category C mean?

The craft is designed for wind force up to and including Beaufort 6 and significant wave height up to and including 2 m (Annex I, Part A, point 1).

Sources

• Directive 2013/53/EU (Recreational Craft) — EUR-Lex consolidated text.
• European Commission — Maritime industries.
• Commission Notice — Blue Guide 2022 — EUR-Lex.
• EN ISO 12217 (stability and buoyancy categorisation, CEN/ISO).