(RTTNews) - The European Parliament approved the "Erika III" package, aimed at protecting the continent's coasts from maritime disasters and improving the safety of passengers and crews.

The eight regulations and directives in this package will tighten safety requirements for ships flying either a European Union (EU) member-state flag or navigating in European waters.

With this, the EU will have a completely-overhauled system for monitoring vessels in the ports of its member-states. From now on, there will be a more frequent and systematic inspection of vessels considered dangerous, and the worst of them could be banned from entering EU ports.

Classification groups will enforce more stringent standards, such as financial penalties, and a certification body for their quality control.

A European center for monitoring long-distance vessels will be established. Fishing vessels will be better protected from collisions. The power to make independent decisions on the accommodation of ships in distress in places of refuge will be guaranteed.

The new rules also ensure independent investigations in the wake of accidents.

This is the third time the EU is stepping up its maritime safety measures since the Erika and Prestige shipwrecks, which damaged European coasts.