Yards Moving Forward - GL Group

PORT STATE CONTROL
Again, the Winner is …
This year, the European port state statistics once again
awarded the top slot to Germanischer Lloyd. In the current
evaluation of all statutory inspections of ships within the
scope of the “Paris Memorandum of Understanding” (Paris
MoU) in 2005, the vessels under attendance by Germanischer
Lloyd achieved the best results. The Paris MoU determined
the number of class-relevant detentions for each classification
society and expressed them in relation to the total number
of statutory inspections during the years 2003 to 2005.
According to these figures, a total of 11,882 inspections were
conducted on ships classified by Germanischer Lloyd.
In only 43 cases did class-relevant deficiencies prevent a
direct onward passage of the ships. The relationship between
inspections and detentions yields an excess factor of -1.57,
which is also the lowest value for the 25 classification societies
considered. In view of the considerable growth exhibited by
the Germanischer Lloyd fleet in recent years, Executive Board
Member Rainer Schöndube expressed his great satisfaction
with the outcome: “We view these results as being clear confirmation
of our uncompromising philosophy of safety and
quality – a philosophy we have implemented in concert with
our customers to the benefit of all people and the environment.”
PORT STATE CONTROL AND CLASSIFICATION
The owner or operator of the ship is responsible for the safety
of a ship and its crew, the protection of the marine environment
and proper living and working conditions on board.
There are international regulations which govern which standards
have to be observed. The flag state as the certifying authority
for the ship, or the recognized organization acting on
its behalf (a classification society, as a rule), is responsible for
ensuring compliance. As the final authority in the chain, Port
State Control conducts spot checks to see whether this
responsibility has indeed been fulfilled. The ships are selected
according to the criteria of the Paris Memorandum of
Understanding (Paris MoU) and the European PSC Directive.
All ships to be examined are at least subjected to an “initial
inspection” in accordance with the applicable provisions. This
includes a check of all certificates and documents of the ship
and its crew as well as a general examination of the vessel’s
condition. A “more detailed inspection” is performed if,
MARITIME SERVICES · NEWS
during the initial inspection, there were clear grounds to
believe that the requirements of the relevant international
conventions have not been met. The required rectification of
the deficiencies is specified in the inspection report and, if
necessary, the ship is detained in the port until these shortcomings
have been resolved.
Port State Control is based on an agreement of the maritime
transport authorities of Northwestern Europe dating back to
26 January 1982. It is aimed at achieving greater effectiveness
in the enforcement of the international conventions and provides
for the annual inspection of at least 25 percent of all
ships calling at European ports.
In 2003, the implementation regulations were tightened up.
From this time on, oil tankers over 3,000 GT and older than 15
years, gas and chemical tankers older than 10 years, bulk carriers
older than 12 years as well as passenger ships older than
15 years must be subjected to a “mandatory expanded inspection”,
insofar as the previous expanded inspection took place
more than twelve months earlier.
EVERYTHING SHIPSHAPE – FEWER CHECKS NEEDED
At present, efforts are under way to achieve a further optimization
of the port state controls. In future, the PSC inspectors
are to look not only at the usual quantitative aspects (25 percent
of the incoming vessels), but increasingly also at the condition
of the ships. The objective of the new monitoring procedure
is to reward shipowners who keep their vessels in good
condition by extending the inspection intervals up to two
years. Ships with poor maintenance, on the other hand, will
be subject to increased scrutiny; they will run the risk of being
inspected more critically and at shorter intervals. Moreover,
work is progressing on a further harmonization between the
inspection criteria of the port states according to the Paris
und Tokyo MoUs, and joint inspection campaigns are
planned (see also nonstop Edition 4/2005). The new arrangement
was formulated by a working group with representatives
of the Paris MoU and the European Commission over the past
few years. As soon as the European Parliament gives the green
light, it can come into force.
For further information: Peter Graaf, Deputy Head of Flagstate Affairs / IACS,
Phone: +49 40 36149-189, peter.graaf@gl-group.com
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