Page 3 - NF 2019 Q1-2

NEWSFLASH Q1 - 2 2019

IMO meetings ICS meetings

Since the last NewsFlash in December 2018, numerous meet- This spring and early summer has seen a number
ings have taken place at the IMO. The BSA has taken active of ICS meetings, especially in preparation for the
part in several of these meetings (those with a * next to MEPC and MSC meetings at the IMO. Click on the
them) and as customary report on developments to mem- title of each meeting to transfer to the report as found on
bers. Click on the title of each meeting to transfer to the re- the BSA website.
port as found on the BSA website. Maritime Law Committee the ICS Secretariat proposed a
NCSR 6 finalised draft guidelines on standardised modes of new work output for the IMO Legal Committee to develop
operation (S-mode), later approved by MSC 101, and as part a Unified Interpretation of the test for breaking the ship-
of a modernisation of GMDSS revised new drafts of SOLAS owner’s limitation rights under the IMO liability and com-
chapters III and IV. pensation conventions.
Shipping Policy Committee the ICS Secretariat is address-
SDC 6 developed guidelines on e.g. design, selection, inspec- ing the Philippines Common Carriers’ Tax (CCT) in corre-
tion and maintenance as part of improvements for safety of spondence with the Secretary of Finance of the Philippines.
mooring equipment and operations also agreeing on draft Work on an ICS Study on ‘National Protectionist and Re-
SOLAS amendments. Ongoing work on carriage of industrial strictive Measures against International Maritime
personnel continued and requirements were agreed. Transport’ has been initiated.
PPR 6 agreed that in order to ensure compliancy of fuels, BoD concluded that changes to domestic regulation re-
sampling and analysis should take place at the shore supply garding open-loop scrubbers is beyond the scope of the
side. The sub-committee also agreed a +95% confidence ap- IMO as well as the ICS, hence it will be difficult to have an
proach be applied to fuel analysis regarding sulphur content effect on this.
from samples taken onboard. No update of the 2015 Guide- Environment Sub-committee discussed the issue of marine
lines for scrubbers was agreed. noise and the increasing work on the issue by the IMO. The
meeting also discussed differences in availability of hull-
SSE 6 finalised amendments to the LSA Code chapter IV as to cleaning in various countries.
cover new ventilation requirements applicable to all newly Marine Committee discussed the setting up of a WG to
built totally enclosed lifeboats. Discussions continued on work on RightShip related issues as to better prepare the
amendments to MSC.1/Circ.1315 re. the acceptance criteria ICS Secretariat in discussions with RightShip. The meeting
for dry chemical powders. also discussed the setting up of a WG on Safety Issues to
which the ICS has been invited to be part. Members will be
FAL 43 approved the revised Guidelines for setting up a mari- further notified on this in a separate message.
time single window and also agreed to address the issue of Labour Affairs Committee Reported on developments re-
maritime corruption by including it in its work programme.
garding the MLC as well as abandonment cases which the
HTW 6 recommended a comprehensive review of the STCW ICS is working on. There was also a discussionon the ITF
Convention and Code by the IMO as soon as reasonably prac- Automation project.
ticable, as proposed by the ICS and supported by the BSA. Construction & Equipment Sub-committee agreed to liaise
The sub-committee also finalised draft amendments to table with CLIA, WSC and SIGGTO to develop a position on the
B-I/2 of the STCW Code, as well as started work on electronic rate of EEDI reduction for cruise ships with non-
certificates. conventional propulsion, container ships, gas carriers and
LNG carriers. It was also agreed that the Secretariat would
MEPC 74 adopted on amendments for ice-strengthened ships co-operate with ECSA to develop a list of ports which had
as well as increased the reduction rate and/or brought for- imposed restrictions for open loop systems and wash wa-
ward the start date of Phase 3 for certain ship types. The ex- ter discharges.
perience building phase for the BWM was implemented. The BoD meeting discussed the admittance of new national
issue of non-availability of compliant fuel was considered and members to the ICS. The meeting also agreed to continue
some measures taken. Some proposals for short-term financing the United States Chamber of Shipping in its
measures of GHG reduction were considered, but no deci- work to monitor de-
sions were taken. velopments in the US
on ICS’ behalf, as well
MSC 101 approved the interim guidelines for minimising as discussed Short-
the incidence and consequences of fires on ro-ro spaces and Long-term
and special category spaces of new and existing ro-ro pas- measures in working
senger ships. The Committee also approved interim on the IMO GHG Strat-
guidelines for navigation and communication equipment egy.
as well as interim guidelines on life-saving appliances and AGM is more a formal-
arrangements for ships operating in polar waters. ity to the ICS than an
open meeting and
TCC 68 This meeting is not monitored by the BSA as it focussed on formal issues such as the ICS financial situation
only concerns country to country technical co-operation. and the re-election of officers to the BoD. The meeting re-
III 6 finalised amendments to MARPOL Annexes I, IV and VI elected the BSA Chair as Vice Chair of the ICS together
exempting unmanned non-self-propelled barges from survey with Mr Emanuele Grimaldi, as well as elected Mr Lasse
Kristoffersen from the Norwegian Shipowners Association
and certification requirements of the MARPOL Convention.
as Vice Chair.