Decreto n.º 18/2017

Decreto n.º 18/2017

de 16 de junho

A Convenção sobre a Limitação da Responsabilidade em Matéria de Créditos Marítimos de 1976 (Convenção LLMC) foi adotada em Londres, em 19 de novembro de 1976, no âmbito da Organização Marítima Internacional, e corresponde a um instrumento de caráter horizontal relativo à responsabilidade civil, tendo entrado em vigor para os países que a ratificaram ou a ela aderiram, em 1 de setembro de 1984.

A Convenção LLMC, que agora cabe aprovar, regula a responsabilidade civil dos transportadores marítimos, em especial o direito de limitarem a sua responsabilidade, com caráter de generalidade, sem prejuízo de exclusão de certo tipo de responsabilidades específicas tratadas noutros instrumentos internacionais, como é o caso dos danos devidos à poluição por hidrocarbonetos ou por substâncias nocivas e potencialmente perigosas.

Em 1996, foi adotado um protocolo que revê este instrumento de direito internacional convencional - o Protocolo de 1996 de Emenda à Convenção sobre a Limitação da Responsabilidade em Matéria de Créditos Marítimos de 1976 -, que visa proceder à atualização dos limites de responsabilidade previstos na Convenção, possibilitando, com isso, assegurar uma indemnização reforçada e uma proteção adequada dos interesses das vítimas, incorporando ainda um mecanismo simplificado para a atualização dos montantes de indemnização.

Portugal é, neste momento, um dos cinco Estados-Membros da União Europeia que ainda não se vinculou a esta Convenção e ao Protocolo, circunstância que prejudica seriamente o desempenho de Portugal enquanto Estado de bandeira, afetando o prestígio do país e dificultando a sua afirmação como Estado marítimo de relevo.

Para além disso, esta adesão encontra-se alinhada não só com o propósito do XXI Governo Constitucional de fazer do Mar um vetor essencial do desenvolvimento concretizado, entre outros instrumentos, na Estratégia Nacional para o Mar.

Assim:

Nos termos da alínea c) do n.º 1 do artigo 197.º da Constituição, o Governo decreta o seguinte:

Artigo 1.º

Aprovação

Aprova, para adesão, a Convenção sobre a Limitação da Responsabilidade em Matéria de Créditos Marítimos (Convenção), adotada em Londres, em 19 de novembro de 1976, e o Protocolo de 1996 de Emenda à Convenção sobre a Limitação da Responsabilidade em Matéria de Créditos Marítimos (Protocolo de Emenda), adotado em Londres, em 3 de maio de 1996, cujos textos, nas versões autenticadas em língua inglesa e respetivas traduções para língua portuguesa, se publicam em anexo.

Artigo 2.º

Reserva

Nos termos do disposto na alínea b) do n.º 1 do artigo 18.º da Convenção, alterada pelo Protocolo de Emenda, Portugal reserva-se o direito de excluir a aplicação de créditos por danos no âmbito da Convenção Internacional sobre a Responsabilidade e a Indemnização por Danos resultantes do Transporte de Substâncias Perigosas e Nocivas por Mar, adotada em Londres, em 1996, ou de qualquer respetiva alteração ou protocolo.

Visto e aprovado em Conselho de Ministros de 20 de abril de 2017. - António Luís Santos da Costa - Augusto Ernesto Santos Silva - José Apolinário Nunes Portada.

Assinado em 26 de maio de 2017.

Publique-se.

O Presidente da República, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa.

Referendado em 7 de junho de 2017.

O Primeiro-Ministro, António Luís Santos da Costa.

ANEXO

CONVENTION ON LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR MARITIME CLAIMS, 1976

The States Parties to this Convention,

Having recognized the desirability of determining by agreement certain uniform rules relating to the limitation of liability for maritime claims,

Have decided to conclude a Convention for this purpose and have thereto agreed as follows:

CHAPTER I

The right of limitation

Article 1

Persons entitled to limit liability

1 - Shipowners and salvors, as hereinafter defined, may limit their liability in accordance with the rules of this convention for claims set out in article 2.

2 - The term «shipowner» shall mean the owner, charterer, manager and operator of a seagoing ship.

3 - Salvor shall mean any person rendering services in direct connexion with salvage operations. Salvage operations shall also include operations referred to in article 2, paragraph 1(d), (e) and (f).

4 - If any claims set out in article 2 are made against any person for whose act, neglect or default the shipowner or salvor is responsible, such person shall be entitled to avail himself of the limitation of liability provided for in this convention.

5 - In this convention the liability of a shipowner shall include liability in an action brought against the vessel itself.

6 - An insurer of liability for claims subject to limitation in accordance with the rules of this convention shall be entitled to the benefits of this convention to the same extent as the assured himself.

7 - The act of invoking limitation of liability shall not constitute an admission of liability.

Article 2

Claims subject to limitation

1 - Subject to articles 3 and 4 the following claims, whatever the basis of liability may be, shall be subject to limitation of liability:

2 - Claims set out in paragraph 1 shall be subject to limitation of liability even if brought by way of recourse or for indemnity under a contract or otherwise. However, claims set out under paragraph 1(d), (e) and (f) shall not be subject to limitation of liability to the extent that they relate to remuneration under a contract with the person liable.

Article 3

Claims excepted from limitation

The rules of this Convention shall not apply to:

Article 4

Conduct barring limitation

A person liable shall not be entitled to limit his liability if it is proved that the loss resulted from his personal act or omission, committed with the intent to cause such loss, or recklessly and with knowledge that such loss would probably result.

Article 5

Counterclaims

Where a person entitled to limitation of liability under the rules of this convention has a claim against the claimant arising out of the same occurrence, their respective claims shall be set off against each other and the provisions of this convention shall only apply to the balance, if any.

CHAPTER II

Limits of liability

Article 6

The general limits

1 - The limits of liability for claims other than those mentioned in article 7, arising on any distinct occasion, shall be calculated as follows:

ii) For a ship with a tonnage in excess thereof, the following amount in addition to that mentioned in (i):

For each ton from 501 to 3,000 tons, 500 Units of Account;

For each ton from 3,001 to 30,000 tons, 333 Units of Account;

For each ton from 30,001 to 70,000 tons, 250 Units of Account; and

For each ton in excess of 70,000 tons, 167 Units of Account,

ii) For a ship with a tonnage in excess thereof the following amount in addition to that mentioned in (i):

For each ton from 501 to 30,000 tons, 167 Units of Account;

For each ton from 30,001 to 70,000 tons, 125 Units of Account; and

For each ton in excess of 70,000 tons, 83 Units of Account.

2 - Where the amount calculated in accordance with paragraph 1(a) is insufficient to pay the claims mentioned therein in full, the amount calculated in accordance with paragraph 1(b) shall be available for payment of the unpaid balance of claims under paragraph 1(a) and such unpaid balance shall rank rateably with claims mentioned under paragraph 1(b).

3 - However, without prejudice to the right of claims for loss of life or personal injury according to paragraph 2, a State Party may provide in its national law that claims in respect of damage to harbour works, basins and waterways and aids to navigation shall have such priority over other claims under paragraph 1(b) as is provided by that law.

4 - The limits of liability for any salvor not operating from any ship or for any salvor operating solely on the ship to, or in respect of which he is rendering salvage services, shall be calculated according to a tonnage of 1,500 tons.

5 - For the purpose of this Convention the ship's tonnage shall be the gross tonnage calculated in accordance with the tonnage measurement rules contained in Annex I of the International Convention on Tonnage Measurement of Ships, 1969.

Article 7

The limit for passenger claims

1 - In respect of claims arising on any distinct occasion for loss of life or personal injury to passengers of a ship, the limit of liability of the shipowner thereof shall be an amount of 46,666 Units of Account multiplied by the number of passengers which the ship is authorized to carry according to the ship's certificate, but not exceeding 25 million Units of Account.

2 - For the purpose of this article «claims for loss of life or personal injury to passengers of a ship» shall mean any such claims brought by or on behalf of any person carried in that ship:

Article 8

Unit of Account

1 - The Unit of Account referred to in articles 6 and 7 is the Special Drawing Right as defined by the International Monetary Fund. The amounts mentioned in articles 6 and 7 shall be converted into the national currency of the State in which limitation is sought, according to the value of that currency at the date the limitation fund shall have been constituted, payment is made, or security is given which under the law of that State is equivalent to such payment. The value of a national currency in terms of the Special Drawing Right, of a State Party which is a member of the International Monetary Fund, shall be calculated in accordance with the method of valuation applied by the International Monetary Fund in effect at the date in question for its operations and transactions. The value of a national currency in terms of the Special Drawing Right, of a State Party which is not a member of the International Monetary Fund, shall be calculated in a manner determined by that State Party.

2 - Nevertheless, those States which are not members of the International Monetary Fund and whose law does not permit the application of the provisions of paragraph 1 may, at the time of signature without reservation as to ratification, acceptance or approval or at the time of ratification, acceptance, approval or accession or at any time thereafter, declare that the limits of liability provided for in this Convention to be applied in their territories shall be fixed as follows:

ii) For a ship with a tonnage in excess thereof, the following amount in addition to that mentioned in (i):

For each ton from 501 to 3,000 tons, 7,500 monetary units;

For each ton from 3,001 to 30,000 tons, 5,000 monetary units;

For each ton from 30,001 to 70,000 tons, 3,750 monetary units; and

For each ton in excess of 70,000 tons, 2,500 monetary units; and

ii) For a ship with a tonnage in excess thereof, the following amount in addition to that mentioned in (i):

For each ton from 501 to 30,000 tons, 2,500 monetary units;

For each ton from 30,001 to 70,000 tons, 1,850 monetary units; and

For each ton in excess of 70,000 tons, 1,250 monetary units; and

Paragraphs 2 and 3 of article 6 apply correspondingly to sub-paragraphs (a) and (b) of this paragraph.

3 - The monetary unit referred to in paragraph 2 corresponds to sixty-five and a half milligrammes of gold of millesimal fineness nine hundred. The conversion of the amounts referred to in paragraph 2 into the national currency shall be made according to the law of the State concerned.

4 - The calculation mentioned in the last sentence of paragraph 1 and the conversion mentioned in paragraph 3 shall be made in such a manner as to express in the national currency of the State Party as far as possible the same real value for the amounts in articles 6 and 7 as is expressed there in units of account. States Parties shall communicate to the depositary the manner of calculation pursuant to paragraph 1, or the result of the conversion in paragraph 3, as the case may be, at the time of the signature without reservation as to ratification, acceptance or approval, or when depositing an instrument referred to in article 16 and whenever there is a change in either.

Article 9

Aggregation of claims

1 - The limits of liability determined in accordance with article 6 shall apply to the aggregate of all claims which arise on any distinct occasion: