MEPC 69: What’s On the Agenda?

As the 69^th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) approaches fast, Ship Efficiency Review News takes a brief look into what is currently on the official agenda and what the industry can expect during this highly anticipated meeting.

To be held between April 18 – April 22, 2016 at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) headquarters in London, MEPC 69 looks to be an eventful session with a range of items on the agenda to discuss.

Chaired by Mr Arsenio Dominguez, Panamanian Ambassador to the International Maritime Organization and chair of the IMO’s MEPC, the 69th session will bring together all 7 IMO Member states and three Associate Members as well as all Parties to MARPOL, Intergovernmental organizations and international non-governmental organizations to discuss the governance of environmental impact and ship efficiency.

This session in particular is to be an exciting one due to the overbearing presence of the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments (the BWM Convention) on the agenda. With such close proximity of the requirements gained for ratification of the Convention, the session hopes to review the Guidelines for ballast water management systems approval process and the D2 standard and will discuss the current time scales for implementation. Furthermore, there will be an opportunity for current active substance using systems to be approved by the IMO, with three systems to be put forward for Final Approval.

High on the session’s agenda is also the energy efficiency of international shipping, with the committee expected to consider an interim report of its correspondence group reviewing the status of technological developments relevant to implementing Phase 2 of the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) regulations.

Also to be discussed is a proposed data collection system for fuel consumption and potential amendments to chapter 4 of MARPOL Annex VI to incorporate this data collection system, in addition to a draft proposal plan to work on defining the shipping industry’s contribution towards reducing climate change following the Paris Climate Change Agreement.

Fuel oil control measures prior to the delivery to ships, and designation of the Philippines’ Tubbataha Reefs as a Particularly Sensitive Sea Areal, the establishment of effective dates for the Baltic Sea Area and an update to carrying out port reception facilities is also expected to be discussed with potential approval.

Ship Efficiency Review will be reporting live from MEPC 69. Follow #MEPC69 on Twitter or visit www.shipefficiencyreview.com/tag/mepc69 for breaking MEPC 69 news.