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Glossary
What is a classification society ? Classification societies are private companies, often with branches throughout the world, which may be authorised to inspect ships and issue the relevant safety certificates on behalf of the States where ships are registered (so called flag States). In order to grant the initial recognition to those classification societies wishing to be authorised to work on behalf of EU Member States, compliance with the provisions of the directive 94/57/EC must be assessed more effectively by the European Commission together with the Member States requesting the recognition. The Commission has asked EMSA to carry out the technical assessments. EU recognised classification societies are : American Bureau of Shipping, Bureau Veritas, China Classification Society, Det Norske Veritas, Germanisher Lloyd, Hellenic Register of Shipping, Korean Register of Shipping, Lloyd's Register, Nippon Kaiji Kyokai, Registro Italiano Navale, Registro Internacional Naval, Russian Maritime Register of Shipping. The International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) based in London represents 10 of the world most famous societies. The liability of classification societies has been implicated in some of the last maritime incidents.
Why Erika I and Erika II Packages ? The Maltese single hulled tanker Erika which sank off Brittany in 1999 gave its name to two packages of stricter legislative measures proposed by the European Commission. The first package (Erika I) was issued in march 2000. It is made of one directive strengthening Port State inspections in the EU (entry into force : 22 July 2003), one directive strengthening the monitoring of the activities of classification societies (entry into force : 22 July 2003), one regulation proposing an accelerated timetable for the withdrawal of single hulled tankers (entry into force : 27 March 2002). Erika II's proposals include a directive concerning the establishing of a monitoring and Community information system and aimed at improving the surveillance of traffic in European waters (entry into force : 5 February 2004), a regulation aimed at establishing a complementary European fund for the indemnity of victims of oil spill amounting to 1 billion (not adopted) and a regulation creating the European Maritime Safety Agency (entry into force : 24 August 2002). It is noteworthy that only seven Member States (Denmark, Eire, France, Germany, Spain, Sweden and United Kingdom) have fully transposed Erika I's two directives by November 2003. Is Equasis related to some shipping quality information ? Yes. The Equasis database, developed with the support of the European Commission, covers merchant vessels over 100 gross tonnage in service or under construction. Equasis enables users (companies, government organisations, individuals) to make a judgement as to quality. The public database carries information on the ships identification and history, ownership and management, classification, safety, P&I (insurance) cover, Port State Control (PSC), deficiencies found and banning orders, private inspections, special certification , membership of associations. More information on : http://www.equasis.org/
EU Recognised Classification Societies The European Union recognises 12 European and non European Classification Societies: - American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) The International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) was formed by seven leading societies on 11 September 1968. Current members are ABS, BV, CCS, DNV, GL, KR, LR, NK, Rina and RS with two associates members : Croatian Register of Shipping and Indian Register of Shipping. In 1969, IACS was given consultative status with IMO, with the first Permanent Representative appointed in 1976. It remains the only non-governmental organisation with observer status which is able to develop and apply rules. The status of the standards developed by member societies was enshrined in the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS). A permanent Secretariat was formally established in London in 1992. Until then, the Secretariat had been found by the Society holding the Chairmanship of Council, which is held on an annual basis by each Member in turn.
International Maritime Organization (IMO) IMO ? A "branch" of the UN. - The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations system which is responsible for measures to improve safety of international shipping and to prevent marine pollution from ships. It also is involved in legal matters, including liability and compensation issues and the facilitation of international maritime traffic. It was established by means of a Convention adopted under the auspices of the United Nations in Geneva on 17 March 1948 and met for the first time in January 1959. It currently has 162 Member States. The European Commission has an observator status at the IMO. It meanwhile proposed, in April 2002, the adhesion of the EU to the International Maritime Organisation, to reinforce the European contribution to the development of international policy on maritime safety. What kind of control is it ? On the basis of an EC Directive, all EU Coastal states are obliged to inspect at least 25 % of all foreign ships calling to their ports. The purpose of the inspections is to verify compliance with the international standards on ships safety, prevention of pollution and living and working conditions onboard. If a substantial number of deficiencies is found, the ship will be detained until the necessary repairs have been carried out. Paris Memorandum of Understanding (on Port State Control) What does this understanding mean ? The Paris Memorandum of Understanding (Paris Mou) on Port State Control is one of the first maritime regional initiatives, created in 1978. Each State Member of this organisation must inspect at least 25 % of foreign vessels calling in its ports. These ships may get a notification of deficiency. If deficiencies are serious and numerous, the ship will be forbidden to leave the port. The results of these controls (approximatively 14 600 controls per year are shared by the 18 States (EU members and non EU members) belonging to the Paris Mou. The Netherlands hosts the secretariat of the organisation, while France runs the database and information system (named SIReNac=Ship Inspection Report Exchange). The figures given by SIReNac allow to establish white/grey/black lists [see below « white/grey/black lists »]
"Vetting" ? An almost copyrighted word. - In addition to the compulsory controls performed by Member States and/or classification societies, many major oil companies use a private "vetting" procedure through their own experts when they anticipate chartering such or such ship and before signing any contract. Some of these charterers create their own database, including ships that have been inspected. |
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