Circular issued by International Group clubs EU - Directive on the Insurance of Shipowners for Maritime Claims (Formerly the Civil Liability Directive) On 10 March the European Parliament adopted the Third Maritime Safety Package, including the Directive on the Insurance Directive (formerly the Civil Liability Directive).  The Directive will  require Member States to ensure that ships flying their flag or entering their maritime territory have insurance of the type provided by International Group Clubs and that such cover is in place up to the limits of liability established by the 1996 LLMC Protocol.  As a result of enquiries made by some shipowners based on recent press articles about the Directive, the International Group has published a statement to clarify the effect of the Directive and to counter the suggestion that shipowner members will need to take out extra insurance to increase levels of cover. Members of the International Group Clubs already have cover in excess of the limits in LLMC 96. See the  International Group Circular .