Legal basis
PILOT FACILITY SERVICES
Reliable 24/7 pilot services depend on a reliable infrastructure with pilot boats, pilot stations, 24-hour watch offices, etc.
WHO IS OFFERING SUCH SERVICES?
Since the gouvernment is asking for pilot services on its waterways, it implemented the provision of the pilotage facility system into the GMPA.
§6 of the GMPA puts the "availabilty, maintanance and organisation" of such pilotage facility system (PFS) in the hands of the supervisory boards.
The supervisory boards took the GMPA-implemented option and transferred the provision of the PFS to the Federal Chamber of Pilots for all of the German pilotage districts except for Wismar/Rostock/Stralsund.
The FCP in turn founded the gouvernmental funded "Lotsbetriebsverein" (a registered society) and is running this pilot facility society itself in a non-profit manner.
The headquaters of the PFS (with outposts in Emden, Bremerhaven, Cuxhaven and in Kiel) is integrated into the Hamburg based headquaters of the FCP. The chairman of the PFS is the chairman of the Federal Chamber of Pilots.
The General Waterway and Shipping Directorates (outposts north and northwest) as supervisory boards are carrying out the supervisory control over the PFS.