List of amendments expected to enter into force this year and in the coming years

From 1 January 2017, STCW certificates must be issued, renewed and revalidated in accordance with the provisions of the 2010 Manila Amendments.

1 September 2017 – MARPOL amendments sewage special area, NOx tier III reporting

MARPOL amendments adopted in April 2016 (MEPC 69) enter into force:

• amendments to MARPOL Annex IV relating to the dates for implementation of the discharge requirements for passenger ships while in a special area, i.e. not before 1 June 2019 for new passenger ships and not before 1 June 2021 for existing passenger ships;
• amendments to MARPOL Annex II, appendix I, related to the revised GESAMP hazard evaluation procedure;
• amendments to MARPOL Annex VI regarding record requirements for operational compliance with NOX Tier III emission control areas;
• amendments to the NOX Technical Code 2008 to facilitate the testing of gas-fuelled engines and dual fuel engines.

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.

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.

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.

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.

source: IMO