DATELINE: 2nd April 2001

NEW EUROPEAN STANDARDS
NEW EUROPEAN STANDARDS A set of training standards relevant to European sport diving training agencies is being developed by the European Standards organisation, CEN. The plan will cover three main areas: diver training schemes, diving instructor qualifications, and dive centre operations.
Formulated under CEN's Tourism Technical Committee, the standards are expected to apply to activities that involve commercial transactions - in other words, to schools rather than clubs.
Agencies are unlikely to need to change their current training systems, but will have a set of minimum standards against which to check that they meet or exceed the criteria deemed necessary for safe and effective training.
Each EU state has three representatives working on the scheme. Britain's are Deric Ellerby of BSAC International, Mark Caney of PADI International, and Mike Holbrook of SSI UK.
The working group has so far finalised draft standards for diver training, with a prospective three-part scheme of Instructor-accompanied Diver, Autonomous Diver (equivalent to PADI Open Water/BSAC Ocean Diver) and Dive Guide (PADI Dive Master/BSAC Dive Leader).
A six-month public inquiry phase applicable to all EU countries will preceed adoption of the plans as a European Standard.

---