Non-passenger merchant shipping
This section explains what we will require from non-passenger merchant shipping carriers under the e-Borders programme and when we will start to introduce these requirements.
Non-passenger merchant shipping companies will be required to provide crew information to the e-Borders system. If passengers are travelling on a merchant shipping vessel, the merchant shipping company will also be required to provide passenger information to the e-Borders system.
We will start to make formal approaches to merchant shipping companies later in 2008, to discuss the data they will need to provide to the e-Borders programme. We will publish more information about how we plan to introduce the programme to merchant shipping carriers at that time.
Terms explained
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Carrier
A person or organisation that transports passengers or goods in and out of the United Kingdom.
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Merchant shipping
This is all commerical shipping except ferries, cruise ships and fishing vessels, although a merchant ship can carry a small number of fare-paying passengers. Among the vessels it includes are: cargo vessels; (including containers; break bulk; dry bulk; wet bulk; and vehicles); dredgers, cable layers and other off-shore working vessels; off-shore supply vessels; and tugs.
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e-Borders
e-Borders is the name of a programme we have set up to introduce electronic border control to the United Kingdom by 2014. It will collect and analyse passenger and crew information provided electronically by carriers (airlines, rail and shipping companies) before travel starts on all journeys to and from the United Kingdom.