Now that's all very interesting and I'm still trying to piece together all the facts on this topic.
So my question is: Who is EMS and are the units you are talking about CE approved?

Here is what I know:

I was looking for a set that would allow me to use regular ITU ship to shore or ship-ship communication, and also allow me to work on the HAM radio networks.

Looked around and bought an Icom 710 with remote head and the open version that allows you to use any frequency in the range from 1.6 to 30 MHz. In talking to HAM's they don't like the unit because it is organized around channels, rather than frequencies, means before you can send you need to create a channel and set its transmit and receive frequency and the modulation etc. I figured I’d go with that compromise, instead of a cheaper and more versatile 706, because it would also give me a proper ship station.

Apparently there is some software that gives you a HAM style user interface on a PC and I think even for a Palm Pilot. Haven't tried it.

Also, through recommendation of friends who are Hams, I took the antenna tuner from SGC, (SG-200) they claim it is better than the AT130.

By the way, when I bought it two years ago, the standard 710 was $1300 and I paid about $1900 for the open feature and the remote head feature.

I have installed my unit, but never used it since I don't have a HAM license yet, (plan to make it later this year), and I could use it as a marine station since I couldn't register the unit for the ship station, until I found some way recently.

If you use it for as a marine SSB and you call any station, you need a call sign. It is the same as the VHF, but the shore station access the registration database that shows what frequencies you have registered, and maybe what billing service you use.

Things may be slightly different since my boat is Germany registered. The RegTP, the office that handles ships radio licenses was very friendly and helpful and told me to go to the manufacturer and get a CE approval number from them, and hinted that it might need some modifications.

Mailing Icom either in Europe or in the US led to absolutely no response. So I started investigating further and got some insight from a guy at Kiel Radio, who sell SSB e-mail services, which I'll probably subscribe to.

He told me that the only unit that is approved in Europe is a GMDSS prepared standard M710. Standard means not open to program any frequency and no remote head feature. It is also slightly modified, so it has a max power of 125W rather than 150W and it is only certified in conjunction with a special AT130E tuner, that has an additional emergency tuning circuit for 2182kHz range. The prices for that unit that I have seen so far are very high, about €4000 with the tuner.

I'm curious how you register your units, and if they are the CE -approved ones?