Description

Comprehensive technical regulations and standards regarding the construction, equipment, manning and operation of ships have been developed and adopted by IMO in order to improve safety at sea and to minimize the adverse effect of shipping on the environment. The primary responsibility to ensure that ships comply with these standards rests with the Flag States. The activities under this component aim at supporting the beneficiaries’ maritime administrations to promulgate legislation to establish and implement national procedures enabling them to effectively perform their obligations, and to exercise an effective Flag State jurisdiction in accordance with relevant instruments, thus contributing to the overall objective of the project to improve maritime safety, security and marine pollution prevention.

Expected output

• analyses/studies of current practices and institutional arrangements and identification of measures for eliminating gaps;
• where statutory tasks have been delegated to Recognised Organisations (ROs) and appropriate relevant legislation exists, text for tailor-made written agreements with ROs in line with the international Code for Recognised Organisations will be proposed for implementation by the beneficiaries that have provided all needed information to finalise the action;
• tailor-made national procedures for monitoring fleet and ROs performance will be proposed to those beneficiaries that accepted to implement them;
• tailor-made national procedures for the ratification of newly adopted international legislation proposed for adoption;
• provision of technical support to establish national marine accident investigative bodies in line with the relevant IMO Code;
• provision of training for flag State inspectors on some selected topics (i.e. checking the compliance of vessels to MARPOL Annex VI or to the MLC);
• provision of technical support to define minimum criteria for flag State inspectors;
• provision of technical support to establish a quality system for maritime administrations according to the relevant ISO standards;
• provision of E-learning to maritime administrations’ staffs dealing with flag State issues.