All Europeans can skipper Greek ships

Greece's top administrative court on Wednesday ruled that all Europeans were entitled to skipper Greek-flagged merchant ships after Athens was rapped by Brussels on the issue, a judicial source said.The Greek Council of State approved a new presidential decree that eliminates restrictions on non-Greek skippers and first officers, provided that applicants are EU nationals with "adequate" mastery of the Greek language.
Members of the European
Economic Area are also entitled to captain Greek-flagged vessels, opening the field to seafarers from Iceland and Norway but barring landlocked Switzerland, according to Athens news agency, ANA.

The restrictions, which dated from 1993 and 1995, have so far earned Athens two convictions from the European Court of Justice, ANA said.
The European Court had dismissed arguments from Athens that chief officers had to be Greek nationals because their station empowers them to assume police, magisterial and notary duties.
Under Greek law, skippers of Greek-flagged merchant vessels can also be summoned to aid the country's defence.