Paris MoU rewards quality Flags
The Paris Memorandum on Port State Control will reward quality flags as part of he New Inspection Regime in 2011. Flags listed on the “White List” and having ompleted the VIMSAS audit are eligible to have their ships ranked as Low Risk ships.
On 1 January 2011 the Paris MoU will introduce a new inspection regime (NIR) . Ships will be ranked as low risk, standard risk or high risk. Low risk ships will be awarded with longer inspection intervals by port State control. Up to 36 months, compared to 6 months in the current system.
In order to qualify for “low risk ship” several criteria need to be met. With regard to flag the following will be decisive:
- flag appears in the “White List” published in the annual report of the Paris MoU, and
- flag has informed the Paris MoU Secretariat that a final audit report including, where relevant, a corrective action plan has been drawn up in accordance with the “Framework and Procedures for the Voluntary IMO Member State Audit Scheme” VIMSAS).
In practice this means that the flag has to write a letter to the Paris MoU Secretariat stating the above and enclosing as evidence the “Executive Summary” of the final audit report.
The secretariat will maintain on the Paris MoU public web site an up-to-date list of flag States which meet the flag criteria for a low risk ship.
All ship types, regardless of age, can qualify for low risk ship. Other criteria are:
- High performance recognized organization (RO), as listed in annual report;
- RO recognized by one or more Paris MoU member States;
- High performance company;
- 5 or less deficiencies found during each inspection carried out in previous 36 months; and
- no detention within previous 36 months.
Low risk ships, in principle, may be inspected after 24 months and shall be inspected when calling at a Paris MoU port after 36 months.
The Paris MoU NIR will be supported by a new information system called “Thetis”, which is hosted and managed by EMSA, in Lisbon.
Source: Paris MOU
