The MEPC 62 meeting will deal with some 226 submissions
The 62nd session of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Committee on the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 62) will be held from 11 to 15 July 2011 in London. BIMCOs Marine Department will be strongly represented at the meeting.
MEPC is responsible for co-coordinating the IMO’s activities on the prevention and control of pollution of the marine environment from ships and the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL). The Convention and its Annexes deal with prevention of pollution from oil, chemicals, other harmful substances, garbage, and sewage.
The MEPC 62 meeting will deal with some 226 submissions and the agenda includes the following important items:
- Harmful aquatic organisms in ballast water (Ballast Water Management)
- Recycling of ships
- Prevention of air pollution from ships
- Reduction of GHG emissions from ships
- Noise from commercial shipping
- Interpretations of, and amendments to, MARPOL and related instruments
In order to try to cope with the high number of submissions, the MEPC 62 meeting arrangements will include the establishment of the following working, drafting and review groups:
- Working Group on GHG Issues
- Working Group on Guidelines for Ship Recycling
- Working Group on Environmental Risk Evaluation Criteria
- Drafting Group on Amendments to Mandatory Instruments
- Ballast Water Review Group
BIMCO has co-sponsored a number of submissions for MEPC 62 as set out below:
- Proposals for resolving the ambiguity concerning cargo hold washing agents and practical difficulties with the en route provisions for the discharge of washing agents within special areas
- Proposed draft interim guidelines to determine whether available propulsion power is sufficient to enable safe maneuvering in adverse conditions in the context of the EEDI framework
- Proposed draft changes to “Guidance for the recording of operations in the Oil Record Book Part I Machinery space operations (all ships)”
A brief status report on the expected outcome of the meeting will be published during the last day of the meeting and a more detailed report will be published once the BIMCO Secretariat has received and reviewed the official IMO report of MEPC 62.
Source: BIMCO