New Style Pilotage represents a significant change for a number of shipowners, including captain-owners. For example, the Register of Small Ships is no longer applicable. Positive aspects include i). the transitional arrangements for a number of categories, ii). the commitment to stakeholder consultation and iii). the fact that the new legislation is an experimental provision contributing to a law that remains up to date.

New Style Pilotage works with a number of so-called Pilot Exemption Certificate (PEC) categories that apply to different ship types. The biggest change is that a PEC is linked to a captain or first officer and a ship. For each PEC category, there are conditions to which a captain or first officer must comply. Furthermore, after obtaining a PEC in a certain category, various combinations can be possible.

New Style Pilotage calls for good cooperation with all parties to ensure the proper alignment of the law and its practical operation. Moreover, the new legislation will be evaluated after one year. Together with the experimental provision, this may be a good time to align the law further with real-world operations.

In addition, separate agreements apply to the Scheldt estuary area that do not correspond with other port areas; these should be aligned.

The ports have room to manoeuvre in terms of customisation. Consultation with stakeholders about the Scheldt estuary region is ongoing and will take some time. The KVNR is making every effort to ensure uniformity within the Dutch seaport areas, partly considering the knowledge and skills of captains and first officers.