Decision 2016/2077 - EU position at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) during the 70th session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee and the 97th session of the Maritime Safety Committee, on the adoption of amendments to MARPOL Annex VI, SOLAS Regulations II-1, SOLAS Regulations III/1.4, III/30 and III/37, SOLAS Regulations II-2/1 and II-2/10, SOLAS Regulation II-1/3-12, the STCW Convention and Code, the Fire Safety Systems Code and the 2011 Enhanced Survey Programme Code - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 320/36

Action by the Union in the sector of maritime transport should aim at improving maritime safety and protecting the marine environment.

The Marine Environment Protection Committee (‘MEPC’) of the International Maritime Organization (‘IMO’), meeting at its 69th session, agreed on the establishment of a mandatory data collection system for fuel consumption and the necessary amendments to Chapter 4 of Annex VI to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (‘MARPOL Annex VI’). Those amendments are expected to be adopted during the 70th session of the MEPC to be held in October 2016.

The Maritime Safety Committee (MSC) of the IMO, meeting at its 95th and 96th sessions, approved amendments to Regulation II-1, Regulations III/1.4, III/30 and III/37, Regulations II-2/1 and II-2/10 and Regulation II-1/3-12 of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), to the International Convention and Code on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (‘STCW Convention and Code’), to the International Code for Fire Safety Systems (‘FSS Code’) and to the 2011 Enhanced Survey Programme Code (the ‘2011 ESP Code’). Those amendments are expected to be adopted during the 97th session of the MSC to be held in November 2016.

The amendments to Chapter 4 of MARPOL Annex VI will establish a mandatory global data collection system for the data to be collected and reported annually by certain ships, the verification processes related to reported data, the establishment of statements of compliance, situations concerning ownership transfer, submission of the data to the IMO, anonymisation of and access to the data, as well as procedures for confirming compliance of ships flying the flag of non-parties to MARPOL Annex VI. Regulation (EU) 2015/757 of the European Parliament and of the Council (1) sets out an EU system to monitor, report and verify (MRV) CO2 emissions and energy efficiency from shipping. It applies to all ships over 5 000 gross tons arriving at, within or departing from ports under the jurisdiction of a Member State from 1 January 2018 onwards, irrespective of where the ships are registered.

Article 22 of Regulation (EU) 2015/757 includes a review clause in the event of an international agreement in this field. The adoption of the amendments to Chapter 4 of MARPOL Annex VI will start such a review process, which may lead to a proposal to amend Regulation (EU) 2015/757 in order to ensure alignment, to the extent appropriate, with the global data collection system agreed in the IMO.

The amendments to SOLAS Regulations II-1/1, II-1/2, II-1/3, II-1/4, II-1/5, II-1/6, II-1/7, II-1/8-1, II-1/9, II-1/10, II-1/12, II-1/13, II-1/15 — 17, II-1/19, II-1/21 — 22 and II-1/35 will introduce editorial and consequential changes, as well as changes that concern subdivision and damage stability requirements...