The 69th session of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) commenced this morning at the IMO’s HQ in London.
This highly anticipated meeting will hold many twists and turns as ballast water management, industry GHG emissions, and vessel efficiency are all battered by Member States, Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and associations alike during the plenary sessions that lie ahead.
Mr Arsenio Dominguez, Panamanian Ambassador to the International Maritime Organization is the chair of the IMO’s MEPC, he has the tough job of controlling the gathered mix of Member States, Associate Members, Parties to MARPOL, Intergovernmental organisations and international NGOs all vying to discuss the prevention and control of pollution from ships.
For MEPC 68 last year, this gathered mass amounted to 95 Member States plus 2 associates, 5 Inter-Governmental organisations and the remarkably high number of 52 Non-Governmental organisations.
For today’s plenary session, expected agenda points to be tackled are:
ITEM 1: ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA
The Committee will be invited to adopt the agenda and the provisional timetable for its sixty-ninth session (MEPC 69/1 and MEPC 69/1/1)
The Secretariat provides the provisional agenda for MEPC 69. The secretariat will also address any Annotations to the provisional agenda and provisional timetable.
The Secretariat provides information on action the Committee will take in relation to items on the agenda for MEPC 69.
It is anticipated that the following groups will be established:
Working Groups:
- Air Pollution and Energy Efficiency (agenda item 5)
- Further Technical and Operational Measures for Enhancing Energy Efficiency (agenda item 6)
Drafting Groups:
- Amendments to Mandatory Instruments (agenda item 3)
- Manual on “Port reception facilities – How to do it” (agenda item 11)
Review Groups:
- Ballast Water Treatment Technologies (agenda item 4).
ITEM 2: DECISIONS OF OTHER BODIES
The Committee will consider the outcome of MSC 95, C 114, A 29 and C 115 on matters of relevance to its work.
The Secretariat will address the outcome of MSC 95 Secretariat. The secretariat provides a report on outcomes from MSC 95 that may be relevant to the work of MEPC.
MEPC 69 is requested to note a number of outcomes, including:
- Approval of a joint MSC-MEPC circular on a unified interpretation relating to products in the IBC Code requiring the use of oxygendependent inhibitors;
- Adoption of amendments to SOLAS to introduce the new mandatory International Code of Safety for Ships using Gases or other Low flash point Fuels (IGF Code). These are anticipated to enter into force on 01 January 2017. Related non-mandatory provisions were also adopted; and
- Amendments to the generic guidelines for developing IMO goal-based standards (MSC.1/Circ.1394/Rev.1);
ITEM 3: CONSIDERATION AND ADOPTION OF AMENDMENTS TO MANDATORY INSTRUMENTS
The Committee will consider, with a view to adoption, draft amendments to the following mandatory instruments:
- MARPOL Annex II (revised GESAMP Hazard Evaluation Procedure);
- MARPOL Annex VI (record requirements for operational compliance with NOx Tier III Emission Control Areas); and
- NOx Technical Code 2008 (testing of gas-fuelled and dual fuel engines for NOx Tier III strategy).
This paper will be presented:
“Draft amendments to the NOx Technical Code 2008 related to the testing of gas-fuelled and dual fuel engines for the NOx Tier III strategy”
The secretariat will then provide draft amendments to the NOx technical Code that were approved at MEPC 68 and are to be further considered at this session with a view to adoption. The proposed amendments are focused on the testing of gas-fuelled and dual fuel engines for compliance with NOx tier III requirements. Key issues addressed include:
- Approvals for serially manufactured engines, engine ‘families’ and engine groups;
- Procedures for NOx measurement on a test bed; and
- Procedures for demonstrating compliance for an engine installed on board.
- Draft amendments to MARPOL Annex VI related to record requirements for operational compliance with NOx Tier II emission control areas
The secretariat will provide draft text for a proposed amendment to MARPOL Annex VI. The draft amendment was approved at MEPC 68 and will be considered for adoption at MEPC 69.The proposed amendment relates to a requirement for recording the status of the operating mode of engines that are capable of operating to the Tier II standard when the ship is entering and leaving an emission control area where the Tier III standard is required. The proposed amendment is quoted below:
5.3 The tier and on/off status of marine diesel engines installed on board a ship to which paragraph 5.1 of this regulation applies which are certified to both Tier II and Tier III or which are certified to Tier II only shall be recorded in such logbook as prescribed by the Administration at entry into and exit from an emission control area designated under paragraph 6 of this regulation, or when the on/off status changes within such an area, together with the date, time and position of the ship.”
- Draft amendments to MARPOL Annex II related to the revised GESAMP Hazard Evaluation Procedure
The Secretariat submits draft amendments to MARPOL Annex II related to the revised GESAMP Hazard Evaluation Procedure. The Committee will be invited to adopt the amendments and decide on the entry into force date anticipated to be 1 September 2017.
- Draft amendments to regulations 1 and 11 of MARPOL Annex IV
The Secretariat provides the draft amendments to regulations 1 and 11 of MARPOL Annex IV which were circulated under Circular Letter No. 3591 in October 2015.
The proposed draft amendments are set out in the annex to this paper, the Committee is asked to consider the draft amendments with a view to adoption in accordance with MARPOL.
Comments on the proposed Baltic Sea Special Area are provided under 69/3/5
- Proposal on consequential changes as a consequence of the proposed amendments to regulations 1 and 11 of MARPOL Annex IV
Following the proposals in MEPC 69/3/3 IACS will suggest possible changes and editorial improvements to the Form of International Sewage Pollution Prevention Certificate, as well as the creation of a new form of certificate of type approval for sewage treatment.
Amendments to the Form of International Sewage Pollution Prevention Certificate as well as an additional form of the type approval certificate of a new sewage treatment plant are held in the annex to this document for the Committee’s Consideration.
- Comments on the draft amendments to regulations 1 and 11 of MARPOL Annex IV (MEPC 69/3/3)
The Russian Federation will provide comments on the draft amendments to regulations 1 and 11 of MARPOL Annex IV set out in document MEPC 69/3/3 and concludes they are not in line with the MEPC 68 decision. The amendments are not focused on the clarification of the new legal contradiction but cause additional issues instead.
Item 4: HARMFUL AQUATIC ORGANISMS IN BALLAST WATER is expected to be on the agenda for Tuesday April 18, 2016
