EU cabotage
Regulation (EEC) No 3577/92 on maritime cabotage
- Citizenship requirement
- EU-flag OR EU-owned vessel; crew nationality follows host-state rules for non-liner services
- Vessel flag required
- Any EU member-state flag (freedom-of-establishment principle)
- Officer quota
- Varies by member state; several impose master + first-officer nationality requirements on ferries
- Wage effect
- EU-flag domestic-ferry wages 30-100% above international; Greek + Italian domestic ferry sector dominated by national officer CBAs
Notes
Liberalised in 1993. Passenger-ferry cabotage remained restricted longer (2004 for Greek islands, 2019 for Croatia). Portugal MAR + French RIF second registries provide reduced-cost EU-flag options.