Drafting of code on recognition of classification societies well underway at recent session of the IMO Sub-Committee on Flag State Implementation (FSI) 

The FSI Sub-Committee held its 18^th session in London from 5 to 9 July 2010.

Among the main subjects on the agenda were the following:

Code on recognised organisations (RO Code)

On the basis of a proposal submitted by a number of countries, including the Islamic Republic of Iran, Canada and the USA, the EU countries (among those Denmark), Panama and South Korea, the FSI Sub-Committee decided to establish a working group that is to make proposals for a code on recognised organisations (classification societies approved for carrying out surveys and certification on behalf of flag States). At the session, the working group presented a proposal for the overall structure of the code, and the work filling in this structure will continue in a correspondence group until the next session.

The FSI Sub-Committee also discussed how to make the code on mandatory IMO “instruments” as well as the voluntary IMO flag State audit system mandatory. As regards the flag State audit system, this resulted in a proposal to update the annexes to each individual relevant instrument. The correspondence group is also to continue working on making the code on IMO instruments mandatory.

Mandatory IMO reporting

The FSI Sub-Committee stated that only a few of the member States (fewer than 25 per cent) meet their reporting obligations under the MARPOL Convention (the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships). It is important to report in order to ensure the efficiency of IMO legislation. As was the case at last year’s session, the Sub-Committee urged the member States to comply with their reporting obligations. Denmark was one of the countries that had met its obligations.

Furthermore, the Sub-Committee finalised the following:

• That instead of bottom surveys in dock on passenger ships (that are not ro-ro passenger ships) it is possible to make a diver’s survey. However, this applies to only one of the bottom surveys prescribed for every five-year period.
• That the survey guidelines under the harmonised system of inspection and certification are to be updated.
• That the guidelines on surveys and certification of anti-fouling systems on ships (Resolution MEPC.102(48)) are to be updated.

These issues are to be finally adopted by the IMO Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) and the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), respectively.

The session was chaired by Mr. D. Hutchinson from the Bahamas, who was elected new Chairman. Ms Julie Gascon from Canada became new Vice-Chairman.

The next session of the Sub-Committee (FSI 19) will be held in London from 21 to 25 February 2011.