Although submarine pipelines are designed with an external coating as the primary system for corrosion control a cathodic protection system is normally installed as a back-up for any deficiencies of the pipeline coating including defects induced during coating application during transportation/installation or operation. This paper will present how reliable corrosion control of submarine pipelines can be ensured by use of DNV-RP-F103 for cathodic protection design in combination with detailed requirements to pipeline coating design and quality control during application of linepipe coating (DNV-RP-F106) and field joint coating (DNV-RP-F102). Amendments in a new (2015) revision of DNV-RP-F103 will be identified and justified and comparison will also be made with other cathodic protection design codes (e.g. ISO 15589-2).