In 2019 the new mandatory requirements on Electronic Data Interchange will require public authorities to set up systems for the electronic exchange of information to assist ship clearance processes. BIMCO will attend the 42nd session of the IMO’s Committee on Facilitation Committee from 5 to 8 June 2018, urging IMO to harmonise digital data reporting.
IMO’s Facilitation Committee works to make port calls, cargo handling and passengers handling better to facilitate trade and the world economy. It also addresses security-related incidents, such as stowaways, illegal migrants on board the ship or drug trafficking.
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As BIMCO noted, three will be the main points in the agenda:
Automated ship reporting
Harmonising electronic ship reporting and automated collection of onboard data is part of the FAL agenda. Several projects are enabling automation. One of them is the EfficienSea 2 project.
The proposal requests the IMO to add harmonisation of data ID to the current work for digitalisation of maritime services. Currently, there are a number of international standards that use different IDs for the same data element. This makes it difficul to develop an international standardised end-user machine-to-machine solution.
The document also proposes a maritime database for the data element IDs. The register should be harmonised and standardised to make sure interoperability between services.
Maritime Single Window
In order to comply with the new mandatory requirements on electronic data interchange, public authorities have until spring 2019 to create systems for the electronic exchange of information to help ship clearance processes. Last year, the decision was taken to develop a prototype based on the maritime single window systems that had already been used in several member states.
Maritime corruption impact
The Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN) works towards the vision of a maritime industry free of corruption that enables fair trade. MACN raises concerns on how maritime corruption has a negative effect.
Amendment of the Explanatory Manual (FAL.3/Circ.202) to the FAL Convention
The explanatory manual helps to interpret the legal text of the FAL Convention, that can be difficult to understand. The old version is seven years old and is being updated to cover developments especially on electronic certificates, which will come into force from April 2019.
