2018

1 January 2018 – Revised FAL Convention

The revised Annex to the Convention on Facilitation of International Maritime Traffic

(FAL) includes mandatory requirements for the electronic exchange of information on
cargo, crew and passengers.

A new recommended practice encourages the use of the “single window” concept, to
enable all the information required by public authorities in connection with the arrival, stay
and departure of ships, persons and cargo, to be submitted via a single portal without
duplication. 

Other revised standards cover shore leave and access to shore-side facilities for crew,
including the addition of a paragraph in the standard to say that there should be no
discrimination, in respect of shore leave, on grounds of nationality, race, colour, sex,
religion, political opinion, or social origin, and irrespective of the flag State of the ship on
which seafarers are employed, engaged or work.

Standards and recommended practices relating to stowaways are also updated, to include
references to relevant sections of the International Ship and Port Facilities’ Security (ISPS)
Code. A new standard requires Governments, where appropriate, to incorporate into their
national legislation legal grounds to allow prosecution of stowaways, attempted stowaways
and any individual or company aiding a stowaway or an attempted stowaway with the
intention to facilitate access to the port area, any ship, cargo or freight containers. 

The IMO Standardized Forms (FAL forms), which cover IMO General Declaration; Cargo
Declaration; Ship’s Stores Declaration; Crew’s Effects Declaration; Crew List• Passenger List
and Dangerous Goods have also been revised.

 
 

1 March 2018 –

 MARPOL Annex VI Collection and reporting of ship fuel oil consumption data

Adopted by MEPC 70. New mandatory fuel oil data collection system. Amendments to
chapter 4 of annex VI of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from
Ships (MARPOL) add new Regulation 22A on Collection and reporting of ship fuel
oil consumption data. Under the new requirements, ships of 5,000 gross tonnage and
above will have to collect consumption data for each type of fuel oil they use, as well as
other, additional, specified data including proxies for transport work. Also new appendices
covering Information to be submitted to the IMO Ship Fuel Oil Consumption Database and
form of the Statement of Compliance, which would be issued to the ship once the relevant
data had been reported. Other regulations are amended to cater for the new requirement,
including those related to certificates, surveys and port State control. 
7
1 March 2018 – 

MARPOL Annex I (IOPPC), MARPOL Annex V (HME products)

Adopted by MEPC 70:

Amendments to MARPOL Annex I to update Form B of the Supplement to the International

Oil Pollution Prevention Certificate, in relation to segregated ballast tanks;

Amendments to MARPOL Annex V related to products which are hazardous to the marine

environment (HME) and Form of Garbage Record Book. The amendments provide criteria
for the classification of solid bulk cargoes as harmful to the marine environment and are
aimed at ensuring that such substances are declared by the shipper if they are classed as
harmful and are not discharged.
 

ALSO NOTICE:-

1 July 2018 –

STCW Polar waters, emergency training on passenger ships

Adopted by MSC 97. Amendments to the International Convention on Standards of

Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) and its related STCW Code,
to include new mandatory minimum training requirements for masters and deck officers on
ships operating in Polar Waters; and an extension of emergency training for personnel on
passenger ships.

1 July 2018 – ESP Code

Amendments to the International Code on the Enhanced Programme of Inspections

during Surveys of Bulk Carriers and Oil Tankers, 2011 (2011 ESP Code). Adopted by MSC
97.

 
2019
1 January 2019 – 
MARPOL amendments Annex VI NECAS, bunker delivery note

Adopted by MEPC 71:

Amendments to MARPOL Annex VI to designate the North Sea and the Baltic Sea as
emission control areas (ECAs) for nitrogen oxides (NOX) under regulation 13 of MARPOL
Annex VI.  Both ECAs will take effect on 1 January 2021, thereby considerably lowering
emissions of NOx from international shipping in those areas.

Amendments to the information to be included in the bunker delivery note relating to the
supply of marine fuel oil to ships which have fitted alternative mechanisms to address
sulphur emission requirements.

1 January 2019 – 

IMSBC Code

The 2017 set of draft amendments (04-17) to the International Maritime Solid Bulk Cargoes
Code (IMSBC Code), to update requirements for a number of cargoes. The amendments
also included those relating to paragraphs 4.5.1 and 4.5.2, highlighting the responsibility of
the shipper for ensuring that a test to determine the transportable moisture limit (TML) of
a solid bulk cargo is conducted. Also included were amendments related to substances
which are harmful to marine environment, to require the shipper to declare whether or not
a solid bulk cargo, other than grain, is harmful to the marine environment.

 
2020

1 January 2020 – 

MARPOL Annex VI 0.50% sulphur limit

The global limit for sulphur in fuel oil used on board ships of 0.50% m/m (mass by mass)
enters into effect from 1 January 2020. This will significantly reduce the amount of sulphur
oxide emanating from ships and should have major health and environmental benefits for
the world, particularly for populations living close to ports and coasts. 
 

1 January 2020 

 SOLAS amendments , amendments to Codes

Amendments adopted by MSC 97:

Amendments to SOLAS regulation II-1/3-12 on protection against noise, regulations II-2/1

and II-2/10 on firefighting and new regulation XI-1/2-1 on harmonization of survey periods
of cargo ships not subject to the ESP Code.

Amendments to the 2008 International code on Intact Stability (IS Code), relating to ships
engaged in anchor handling operations and to ships engaged in lifting and towing
operations, including escort towing. The amendments are expected to enter into force on 1
January 2020.

Amendments to the International Code for Fire Safety Systems (FSS Code), clarifying the
distribution of crew in public spaces for the calculation of stairways width. The
amendments are expected to enter into force on 1 January 2020.
Amendments to the International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships
Carrying Liquefied Gases in Bulk (IGC Code), aligning the wheelhouse window fire-rating
requirements in the IGC Code with those in SOLAS chapter II-2. The amendments are
expected to enter into force on 1 January 2020.

Amendments adopted by MSC 98:

A set of amendments to SOLAS chapter II-1 relating to subdivision and damage stability. The
amendments were developed following a substantive review of SOLAS chapter II-1, focusing
in particular on new passenger ships. The review has taken into account recommendations
arising from the investigation into the 2012 Costa Concordia incident. In conjunction with
the adoption of the aforementioned amendments, the MSC adopted the Revised
Explanatory Notes to SOLAS chapter II-1 subdivision and damage stability regulations. The
MSC also approved the Revised guidance for watertight doors on passenger ships which
may be opened during navigation.  

Amendments to SOLAS regulation II-2/3.56, relating to the definition of vehicle carrier and
draft new SOLAS regulation II-2/20.2 on fire safety requirements for cargo spaces
containing vehicles with fuel in their tanks for their own propulsion, specifically vehicles
which do not use their own propulsion within the cargo space.

Amendments to SOLAS regulation II-2/9.4.1.3 to clarify the requirements for fire integrity of
windows on passenger ships carrying not more than 36 passengers and on special purpose
ships with more than 60 (but no more than 240) persons on board.

Amendments to SOLAS regulations III/1.4, III/30 and III/37 on damage control drills for
passenger ships, to require damage control drills to take place on all passenger ships from
2020.

GARWAGE E WASTE
 The amendments to MARPOL Annex V adopted at MEPC 70 will enter
into force on 1 March 2018. The changes include criteria for
determining whether cargo residues are harmful to the marine
environment, and a new Garbage Record Book format with a new
garbage category for e-waste. This news provides a summary of the
new regulations.
 Published: 05 January 2018

 
 Author:

 Keywords: Statutory

Relevant for ship owners and managers.

The amendments to MARPOL Annex V adopted at MEPC 70 will enter into

force on 1 March 2018. The changes include criteria for determining whether
cargo residues are harmful to the marine environment, and a new Garbage
Record Book format with a new garbage category for e-waste. This news
provides a summary of the new regulations.

The main amendments included in MARPOL Annex V, which was adopted at

MEPC 70, cover: 
 Declaration of cargo residues
Cargo residues which are not harmful to the marine environment have less
strict discharge requirements than cargo residues which are harmful. Solid
bulk cargo as per regulation VI/1-1.2 of SOLAS, other than grain, shall now
be classified per the criteria in the new appendix I of MARPOL Annex V, and
the shipper shall then declare as to whether or not the cargo is harmful to
the environment (HME). 

Garbage Record Book

A new form of the Garbage Record Book (GRB) has been included in
appendix II to MARPOL Annex V. The GRB will be divided into two parts: 

 Part I for all garbage other than cargo residues, applicable to all ships
 Part II for cargo residues only applicable to ships carrying solid bulk
cargo 
The GRB garbage categories have also been amended to include e-waste1),
and the category for cargo residues has been split into HME (harmful to the
marine environment) and non-HME. The new garbage category distribution
will be as follows:  

A. Plastics 
B. Food waste 
C. Domestic wastes 
D. Cooking oil 
E. Incinerator ashes 
F. Operational waste 
G. Animal carcasses 
H. Fishing gear 
I. E-waste 
J. Cargo residues (non-HME) 
K. Cargo residues (HME) 

The GRB discharge table has also been revised, as both incineration start
and stop date/time/position shall be recorded. In addition, a new table is
included for reporting exceptional discharge or loss of garbage under
regulation 7, also covering the reason for the discharge or loss, details there
of and precautions taken.
 The new GRB part II for solid bulk cargo residues includes entries for
position or port, garbage category (J or K), amount discharged to sea or
reception facilities, and start and stop positions for sea discharge.   

Along with the GRB, receipts obtained from receptions facilities will also be
required to be kept on board for at least two years.  

Even though Annex V of MARPOL is mandatory for all ships, there are
neither certification nor approval requirements. 

However, the following is required under MARPOL:

 Placards posted on board noting the discharge requirements2)

 A Garbage Management Plan3)
 A Garbage Record Book4)