Paris MoU Says Fire Safety CIC Results were “Satisfactory”

The Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (Paris MoU) held its 57th Committee meeting in Madrid from May 6 to 10, 2024 and concluded that the results of the Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Fire Safety, held from September 1 to November 30, 2023, showed that overall compliance appeared to be satisfactory.

The result was less favorable on two specific topics: maintenance of fire doors (9.3 % non-compliance) and performing fire drills (9.2% non-compliance). The Paris MoU expects the industry to give these issues the necessary attention.

Future CICs will cover Crew Wages and Seafarer Employment Agreements under MLC (2024), Ballast Water Management (2025) and Cargo Securing (2026).

During 2023, the Paris MoU conducted, on a trial basis, Focused Inspection Campaigns (FICs) aimed at improving the effectiveness of inspection campaigns. These focused inspections have now been carried out on Pilot Transfer Arrangements, Electronic Chart Display Information Systems (ECDIS) and on the Galley. The Paris MoU will continue to implement these FICs, announced and unannounced.

The Committee discussed the approval of the new port state control instruction for the inspection of ships carrying industrial personnel (IP Code). This new code has been developed by the IMO and will enter into force from July 1, 2025 and will facilitate the development of offshore renewable energy projects.

A new training policy regarding Port State Control Officers (PSCOs) was approved. This training policy has been revised to align training efforts with developments within and beyond the Paris MoU and thereby maintain a sustainable level of qualified PSCOs.

The Paris MoU approved the incorporation of a new relevant instrument: the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships. The Paris MoU will enforce this instrument as of July 1, 2025.

The Paris MoU Committee also recalled the entry into force of several MLC amendments on December 23, 2024. In addition, attention was drawn to the Mediterranean Sea Emission Control Area for Sulphur Oxides and Particulate Matter that will soon become effective. To create additional awareness, the Committee agreed that a letter of warning should be issued during inspections in the first quarter of 2025.

Several recent developments have raised some concerns for the Paris MoU, including apparent attempts by some flag states to conclude bilateral agreements with port states to avoid detentions. The Paris MoU Committee stressed that such attempts are not acceptable.

Another concern discussed was the occurrence of fraudulent seafarer certificates. The Paris MoU Committee urged members to continue to pay attention to this issue in order to uphold safety at sea. The Committee also called on the shipping industry itself to keep a close eye on the matter.

The Paris MoU Committee also discussed the integration of fisheries control within the framework of port state control and noted the importance of keeping safety considerations separate from fisheries to ensure the effectiveness of port state control. Related to the statistics published in the 2023 Annual Report, the Committee considered it important to monitor the continuously higher level of the detention percentage (3.81%).

The meeting was formally opened by Benito Núñez Quintanilla, Secretary-General of Maritime and Air Transport, and chaired by Brian Hogan. It was attended by the members of the Paris MoU, the European Commission, EMSA, and by observers from the Abuja MoU, Black Sea MoU, Caribbean MoU, Indian Ocean MoU, Mediterranean MoU, Tokyo MoU, US Coast Guard and the ILO. The Riyadh MoU, the Viña del Mar Agreement and representatives from IMO participated online.