(a) The purpose of this part is to provide—

(1) A comprehensive and adequate means of determining and verifying the professional qualifications an applicant must possess to be eligible for certification to serve on merchant vessels of the United States; and

(2) A means of determining that an applicant is qualified to receive the endorsement required by the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, 1978, as amended (the STCW Convention, or STCW).

(b) The requirements applicable to approved and accepted training, training for a particular rating endorsement, and training and assessment associated with meeting the standards of competence established by the STCW Convention have been moved to 46 CFR part 10, subpart D.