21Countries / Territories
7Statutory Members
4Members
6Candidate Members
What do the ESDP status levels mean?
Contact
Country in contact with the ESDP, but not yet classified as a Candidate Member, Member or Statutory Member.
Candidate Member
Country developing a national scientific diving structure and working towards implementation of the ESDP ESD/AESD minimum training standards.
Member
Country with an established national scientific diving committee in contact with a responsible national authority and with ESD/AESD qualifications implemented as primary standards.
Statutory Member
Country where scientific diving and the national scientific diving system are recognised by law, together with ESD/AESD qualifications or equivalent standards.
Contact
Austria
RegulationNo detailed national profile was included in the January 2022 ESDP country survey.
AuthorityNot specified in the January 2022 ESDP survey.
LicenceNot specified in the January 2022 ESDP survey.
RecognitionNo specific country-level statement in the January 2022 survey.
Statutory Member
Belgium
RegulationYes โ occupational scientific diving has a national legal framework.
AuthorityBelgian Working Group on Scientific Diving (BWGSD).
LicenceNational qualification/certification wording not specified in the January 2022 survey.
RecognitionESDP mutual-recognition/equivalence framework applies subject to Belgian rules.
Member
Bulgaria
RegulationNo โ occupational scientific diving was not recognised by law in the January 2022 ESDP survey.
AuthorityBulgarian National Association of Underwater Activity (BNAUA).
LicenceNot specified in the January 2022 survey.
RecognitionNo specific national recognition statement reported.
Member
Croatia
RegulationNo โ occupational scientific diving was not recognised by law in the January 2022 survey.
AuthorityKZRH / CSDC โ Coordination of Scientific Divers of Croatia.
LicenceNot specified in the January 2022 survey.
RecognitionNo specific national recognition statement reported.
Candidate Member
Cyprus
RegulationNo โ occupational scientific diving was not recognised by law in the January 2022 survey.
AuthorityCandidate member; national committee arrangements were reported as in progress.
LicenceNot specified in the January 2022 survey.
RecognitionNo specific national recognition statement reported.
Statutory Member
Finland
RegulationYes โ occupational scientific diving has a national legal framework.
AuthorityFinnish Scientific Diving Steering Association (FSDSA).
LicenceNational scientific-diving qualification within the Finnish professional-diving framework; exact certificate wording not specified in the survey.
RecognitionESDP mutual-recognition/equivalence framework applies subject to Finnish rules.
Statutory Member
France
RegulationYes โ occupational scientific diving is regulated within French occupational law.
AuthorityComitรฉ National de la Plongรฉe Scientifique (CNPS).
LicenceNational occupational scientific-diving qualification under the French legal framework; exact certificate wording not specified in the survey.
RecognitionESDP mutual-recognition/equivalence framework applies subject to French rules.
Statutory Member
Germany
RegulationYes โ scientific diving is regulated within the German occupational safety framework. DGUV Rule 101-023 โForschungstauchenโ applies to scientific diving operations.
AuthorityKommission Forschungstauchen Deutschland (KFT); national representative: Philipp Fischer
LicenceNational qualification/certification as geprรผfte:r Forschungstaucher:in under DGUV Rule 101-023; this is not presented as a separate state-issued diving licence.
RecognitionESDP recognition/equivalence framework applies; KFT provides procedures and guidance for recognition of comparable national/international training.
Candidate Member
Gibraltar
RegulationNo โ occupational scientific diving was not recognised by law in the January 2022 survey.
AuthorityGibraltar Scientific Diving Committee (GSDC).
LicenceNot specified in the January 2022 survey.
RecognitionNo specific national recognition statement reported.
Candidate Member
Greece
RegulationNo โ occupational scientific diving was not recognised by law in the January 2022 survey.
AuthorityHellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR).
LicenceNot specified in the January 2022 survey.
RecognitionNo specific national recognition statement reported.
Contact
Ireland
RegulationNo detailed national profile was included in the January 2022 ESDP country survey.
AuthorityNot specified in the January 2022 ESDP survey.
LicenceNot specified in the January 2022 ESDP survey.
RecognitionNo specific country-level statement in the January 2022 survey.
Member
Italy
RegulationYes โ occupational scientific diving was recognised as an occupational activity, but the January 2022 survey did not report statutory recognition of OSD.
AuthorityAssociazione Italiana Operatori Scientifici Subacquei (AIOSS).
LicenceNot specified in the January 2022 survey.
RecognitionNo specific national recognition statement reported.
Contact
Monaco
RegulationNo detailed national profile was included in the January 2022 ESDP country survey.
AuthorityNot specified in the January 2022 ESDP survey.
LicenceNot specified in the January 2022 ESDP survey.
RecognitionNo specific country-level statement in the January 2022 survey.
Statutory Member
Norway
RegulationYes โ occupational scientific diving has a national legal framework.
AuthorityNorske Vitenskapelige Dykkere / Norwegian Scientific Divers (NSD).
LicenceNational occupational scientific-diving qualification under the Norwegian framework.
RecognitionESDP mutual-recognition/equivalence framework applies subject to Norwegian rules.
Candidate Member
Poland
RegulationYes โ scientific diving was recognised by law, although the ESDP 2022 survey classified the national implementation as still developing.
AuthorityPolish Committee on Scientific Diving (PCSD).
LicenceNational scientific-diving qualification framework; detailed licence wording not specified in the survey.
RecognitionESDP equivalence framework intended to facilitate mobility; national requirements remain applicable.
Member
Portugal
RegulationNo โ occupational scientific diving was not recognised by law in the January 2022 survey.
AuthorityAssociaรงรฃo Portuguesa de Mergulho Cientรญfico (APorMC).
LicenceNot specified in the January 2022 survey.
RecognitionNo specific national recognition statement reported.
Candidate Member
Slovenia
RegulationNo โ occupational scientific diving was not recognised by law in the October 2022 ESDP annex.
AuthorityNational ESDP representative listed as Borut Mavriฤ; no statutory national authority was specified.
LicenceNot specified in the January 2022 survey.
RecognitionNo specific national recognition statement reported.
Contact
Spain
RegulationHistorical status was Contact in January 2022. Later 2023 ESDP literature states that occupational scientific diving was recognised by law in Spain, but implementing conditions were not yet defined by decree.
AuthorityNo national authority was specified in the January 2022 country survey.
LicenceNo detailed national licence information was provided in the January 2022 survey.
RecognitionNo specific country-level statement in the January 2022 survey.
Statutory Member
Sweden
RegulationYes โ occupational scientific diving is legally recognised.
AuthoritySwedish Scientific Diving Committee (SSDC).
LicenceNational occupational scientific-diving qualification within the Swedish framework; exact certificate wording not specified in the survey.
RecognitionESDP mutual-recognition/equivalence framework applies subject to Swedish rules.
Candidate Member
The Netherlands
RegulationNo โ occupational scientific diving was not recognised by law in the January 2022 survey; implementation was in progress.
AuthorityDutch Scientific Diving Platform (DSDP/DSTP).
LicenceNot specified in the January 2022 survey.
RecognitionNo specific national recognition statement reported.
Statutory Member
United Kingdom
RegulationYes โ the Diving at Work Regulations 1997 and corresponding Northern Ireland regulations form the core occupational diving framework.
AuthorityUK Scientific Diving Supervisory Committee (SDSC).
LicenceUK occupational scientific-diving competency within the Diving at Work framework.
RecognitionEuropean equivalence applies subject to UK occupational and local requirements.