Tag: regulatory update

Japan has approved ratification of the ‘International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage, 2001’ and the ‘Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks, 2007’. Japan also amended the ‘Act on Liability for Oil Pollution Damage’ (the Act) in order to reflect the provisions of the two conventions. The amended Act will apply by March 2020.

After attending the VIDA webinar the EPA and the USCG co-arranged, Mouawad Consulting has summarised the latest information. Some of the highlights of the discussion regard the fact that the new regulation is not expected to be enforced before December 2022, and that standards are likely to be technology-based and not risk-based.

The Korean Register of Shipping issued a draft amendment on the rules for the Classification of Steel Ships Guidance 1 revised section, noting that the Class is committed to developing the Rules to meet the latest technical and customer requirements. Therefore, it calls its members in case of any comments inform the Class until Friday, June 7, 2019.

MEPC 74 concluded on Friday with a comprehensive set of guidelines for the consistent implementation of the 2020 sulphur cap. IMO also approved draft amendments to MARPOL Annex VI relating to enforcement of the 0.50% sulphur limit.

The International Convention on Arrest of Ships, 1999 (1999 Convention) was ratified by the Turkish Parliament on March 2017. Now, on May 3, 2019, the 1999 Convention officially became binding by law upon the Turkish authorities. This recent development paves the way for arrest of ships under demise charter for debts of the charterer given that international conventions take priority over national law.

The 74th session of the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 74) took place on 13-17 May at IMO headquarters in London, with key environmental subjects on its agenda, aimed at supporting the IMO strategy on reduction of GHG emissions from ships and the implementation of 2020 sulphur cap among others.

As a meeting of the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 74) in London closed Friday, the Clean Arctic Alliance expressed frustration over Member States' lack of action to minimize black carbon emissions in the Arctic. 

MEPC 74 concluded on Friday with a comprehensive set of guidelines for the consistent implementation of the 2020 sulphur cap. IMO also approved draft amendments to MARPOL Annex VI relating to enforcement of the 0.50% sulphur limit.

During the 74th session of its Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 74), concluded Friday, IMO agreed stricter energy efficiency targets for certain types of ships, as part of its efforts to reduce shipping emissions. 

A Canadian Senate committee voted against Bill C-48, which would ban oil tankers from docking on British Columbia’s northern coast. This means the Senate advised the federal government not to proceed with the bill enacting the oil tanker moratorium on that stretch of coast.