NL 192/17 | New Panama Flag Regulation for the use of the Ship Security Alert System (SSAS)
Refers to: Owners / Managers /Operators of Panamanian flagged vessels, PHRS Representatives/Surveyors
Action Date: November 30th, 2017
Panama Maritime Authority has recently revised the instructions and procedures on the Ship Security Alert System (SSAS) according to SOLAS 74, Chapter XI-2 Reg. 6, as amended.
Existing requirements (basic)
According of Section 9 Part A of the ISPS Code, each ship requires implementing a Ship Security Plan (SSP) approved by its Flag State or by a Recognized Security Organization.
All the Panamanian flagged vessels shall be provided with a Ship Security Alert System (SSAS), as instructed in the SOLAS 74’, as amended (Chapter XI-2 Regulation 6, paragraph #1). The SSAS shall be capable of transmit a security alert to a designated, competent authority when activated in an emergency situation.
According to MMC-133, all the Companies must include the following e-mail addresses as recipient’s address of the SSAS alerts / tests, on board the Panamanian Flagged vessels:
• threat@amp.gob.pa , and / or
• authorizations@segumar.com (optional)
The CSO designated by the Company has to obtain an Endorsement from the Panama Maritime Administration in order to comply with the duties and responsibilities on behalf of the Company, as per MMC-206. This has to be done BEFORE the issue of INTERIM ISSC by the RSO.
The SSO must ensure that at least one security drill is conducted once every three months to promote the effective implementation of the Ship Security Plan,
The Company Security Officer shall ensure the effective coordination and implementation of Ship Security Plans by participating in exercises at appropriate intervals.
Exercises should be carried out at least once each calendar year with no more than 18 months between the exercises.
All RSO’s must verify in the initial verification that the SSAS system is working properly, performing a real TEST and sending it to threat@amp.gob.pa in order to confirm receipt.
Amendments
Until 15 December 2017, all CSOs shall verify the CSO information in PMA’ data base, by completing and send the CSO Validation Form (which can be found here) with the information required to the following addresses: isps@amp.gob.pa and info@panama-ssas.com
After 15 December 2017, CSOs shall apply for the endorsement or revalidate the information through the online application ( http://certificates.amp.gob.pa/certificates )
From 30 November 2017 all the CSO that already send the Validation Form described in the above paragraph or apply through the CSO Endorsement online application by the website link: http://certificates.amp.gob.pa/certificates will receive an email from info@panama-ssas.com with their credentials and the instructions for Annual SSAS testing.
As from 01 January 2018, all ships flying Panama Flag which complying and certified according to the ISPS Code shall carry out annual SSAS TEST with PMA which will be send through the use of an electronic platform for the Supply and Operation of the Ship Identification and Monitoring System. Ship Owners/ Managers/ Operators of vessels flying Panama Flag, through the CSOs have the responsibility to schedule, through the platform, the annual tests of SSAS TEST in a period no longer than twelve (12) months and the confirmation message of the annual SSAS TEST must be retained on board.
For ships entering the Panama Flag after 01 January 2018, the first SSAS TEST must be scheduled through the use of the new platform, which must be verified by their RSO during the initial verification and from that date onwards, every twelve (12) months. In those cases, it is required that the CSO designed by the Company Operator already has the Declaration of Company Security Officer duly endorsement by PMA, as per MMC-206, in order to schedule the first SSAS TEST.
Only one annual SSAS TEST is mandatory. In case of vessels that perform more than one test and require a flag confirmation they should not schedule it through the platform, in those cases they also have to use the below SSAS TEST message information and send an email directly to threat@amp.gob.pa
Please click here for the revised Merchant Marine Circular (MMC -113) regarding the new regulation for the use of the Ship Security Alert System (SSAS).
Please click here for the revised Merchant Marine Circular (MMC – 353) regarding the updated information to the Company Security Officer (CSO).
For more information regarding this issue please do not hesitate to contact us.
November 29th, 2017 - PHRS Head Office
NL 174/17 | Paris MOU & Tokyo MOU announce Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) on ECDIS
Refers to: Ship Managers/Owners, Clients, PHRS Representatives
Action Date: September 2017
Dear all,
The purpose of subject newsletter is to inform all interested parties about the conduction of a Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) from the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) jointly with the Tokyo MoU. The Black Sea MoU will also participate in the same CIC campaign.
Please click here for the relevant Press Release for more details.
The CIC will focus on navigation safety, including Electronic Chart Display Information Systems (ECDIS).
The campaign will be held for three months, beginning on the 1st of September 2017 till the 30th of November 2017.
During this time, Port State Control (PSC) Officers are expected to use a standard questionnaire, which will be published in August 2017.
Once the CIC questionnaire will be published in August, PHRS will launch a similar CIC throughout its classed ships in order to ensure that the ships will be better prepared for the CIC.
Do not hesitate to contact us for any clarifications you may need on the above.
June 12th, 2017 - PHRS Head Office
Refers to: Ship Managers / Owners of Panamanian flagged vessels, Clients, PHRS Surveyors / Representatives
Action Date: Immediate
Dear all,
Kindly note that the purpose of subject newsletter is to inform all interested parties, that according to Merchant Marine Circular MMC-348 ( which can be found here for your reference), our Organization has been authorized by Panama Maritime Authority, to issue the Provisional Certificate regarding the International Ballast Water Management Convention, 2004.
For any more information/ clarifications regarding a/m issue, please do not hesitate to contact us.
March 27th, 2017 - PHRS Head Office
We are proud to announce that our authorization status from the Zanzibar Maritime Authority has been updated from a case by case status to a full authorization.
The agreement signed between our Organization and Zanzibar Maritime Authority is authorizing PHRS to perform surveys and provide statutory certificates for vessels registered under the ZMA flag, thus leading our organization to continuous improvement and inspiring us to continue setting higher quality standards for our services and keep on contributing to the formation of a safer maritime environment.
NL 167/17 | Monitoring, Reporting and Verification (MRV) of the CO2 Emissions from Maritime Transport
Refers to: All Clients
Action Date: Various
According to the new European Regulation (EU) 2015/757 for Monitoring, Reporting and Verification of Carbon Dioxide emissions for Shipping (EU MRV), from 1/1/2018 onwards every ship equal to or larger than 5000 GT which has a commercial operation and calls to a European port, is obliged to monitor and report a series of relevant data on to its CO2 emissions. It is estimated that 15,000 ships are affected by the requirements of this Regulation, with each one of them obliged to report those data in an annual basis to the European Commission, after having them verified by an independent, ISO 14065 accredited verifier. Prior to the inauguration of the monitoring period, the Regulation imposes on every ship lying in the above category to develop an appropriate monitoring methodology of the required data, compile a ship specific Monitoring Plan and submit it, earlier than 1st of September 2017, for assessment by an accredited verification body
Who does this Regulation concern and which are the exceptions?
This Regulation should be applied to all ships regardless of their flag. However regulation 2015/757 does not apply for ship movements and activities not serving the purpose of transporting cargo or passengers for commercial purposes such as dredging, icebreaking, pipe-laying or off shore installation activities. In addition, it does not apply to warships, naval auxiliaries, fish-catching or fish-processing ships, wooden ships of a primitive build, ships not propelled by mechanical means, or government ships used for non-commercial purposes.
A roadmap towards the implementation of Regulation 2015/757
By August 31st of 2017, companies shall prepare and submit to an accredited verifier a Monitoring Plan (MP) for each of their ships indicating the monitoring and reporting method chosen.
As of January 1st of 2018, companies shall, based on the monitoring plan assessed, monitor CO2 emissions for each ship on a per-voyage and annual basis by applying the appropriate method for determining CO2 emissions and by calculating CO2 emissions in accordance to the Regulation requirements.
As of April 30th of 2019, and by 30 April of each year, companies shall submit to an accredited Verifier, an Emissions Report concerning the CO2 emissions and other relevant information for the entire reporting period for each ship under their responsibility, for the scope of verification that the reported data conform to the requirements laid down in the Regulation.
As of June 30th of 2019 and by 30 June of the year following the end of a reporting period, the verification process of the Emissions Report will have to be completed. When the emissions report will be verified as satisfactory by the verifier:
• A Verification Report shall be issued by the Verifier which shall be submitted to the EU Commission and to the authorities of the Flag States concerned.
• The Emissions report will be submitted to the EU Commission and to the authorities of the Flag States concerned.
• A Document of Compliance shall be issued by the verifier on the basis of the verification report.
By June 30th of the year following the end of a reporting period, ships arriving at, within or departing from a port under the jurisdiction of EU Member State and which have carried out voyages during that reporting period, shall carry on board a valid Document of Compliance.
This Document of Compliance shall be valid for the period of 18 months after the end of a reporting period.
Verifiers
For the first phase the Accredited Verifier shall assess the conformity of the monitoring plan with the requirements of the Regulation.
Verifiers must be independent bodies accredited to the ISO 14065 standard from an EU Member National accreditation body, as required from the EU MRV Regulation.
Starting from 2019, the verifier shall also assess the conformity of the emissions report with the requirements laid down in the Regulation. In particular, the verifier shall assess whether the CO2 emissions and other relevant information included in the emissions report have been determined in accordance with the monitoring activities and the monitoring plan.
Where the verification assessment concludes, with reasonable assurance from the verifier that the emissions report is free from material misstatements, the verifier shall issue a verification report stating that the emissions report has been verified as satisfactory. Otherwise, the company shall correct the misstatements or non-conformities so as to enable the verification process to be completed in time and shall submit to the verifier the revised emissions report and any other information that was necessary to correct the non-conformities identified.
At the final stage of the MRV procedure, according to the Regulation, the verifier issues a Verification Report and a Document of Compliance.
Who you can trust?
Phoenix Register of Shipping’s role on the EU MRV process is to assist ship-owners and ship-managers whose vessels will be affected by the Regulation (EU) 2015/757 on their timely understanding and implementing the requirements of EU MRV Regulation for maritime industry in a reliable, time-efficient and cost effective manner.
In this scope, Phoenix Register of Shipping has entered into a framework agreement for cooperation with EMICERT (formerly ECOCERT Ltd), a verification body which is the 1st Verifier globally accredited to the ISO 14065 standard with multinational experience, specialized in the Verification of GHG Emission.
EMICERT, the specialized Hellenic body, exclusively engaged since 2005 with the verification of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions, follows closely the developments of the MRV regulation.
For more than a decade Emicert provides its verifications services for the purposes of EU-ETS to the majority of Greek market (industry and aviation). EMICERT expanded its activities to other European markets and has a leading position in the market of Hellas, Cyprus, Ireland and Bulgaria.
Emicert is the 1st Verifier globally that has completed the ISO 14065 accreditation process with the Hellenic National Accreditation Body (ESYD), in the context of the European Regulation 2015/757 (EU MRV).
The ISO 14065 Accreditation Scope covers the whole range of the industrial activities, aviation, maritime, as well as voluntary schemes (Carbon footprint) according to the requirements of the relevant Regulations and Standards.
With the alliance between Phoenix Register of Shipping and Emicert, the shipping industry will find a reliable partner for the implementation of the maritime EU MRV procedure which will be inaugurated in 2017.
Contact Details:
EMICERT Ltd – GHG Verification Body
20, Karea str, GR11636 Athens, GREECE,
T: +30 210 7211877, F: +30 210 7211040
www.emicert.com - info@emicert.com
Phoenix Register of Shipping S.A.
16, 2as Merarchias Str., 185 35, Piraeus, Attica, Hellas
T: +30 210 413 6555 | +30 210 413 6505, F: +30 210 413 7888
Refers to: Owners and operators of ships that are subject to air emission controls under MARPOL Annex VI.
Action Date: March 1st, 2018
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) adopted the Resolution MEPC.282(70) on 28th October 2016 with amendments to chapter 4 of Annex VI of MARPOL, adding a new Regulation 22A on Collection And Reporting Of Ship Fuel Oil Consumption Data and new appendices covering Information to be submitted to the IMO Ship Fuel Oil Consumption Database. The new mandatory Fuel Oil Data Collection System applies to international shipping and is requiring ships above 5,000 gross tonnage to start collecting and reporting fuel consumption data to IMO Ship Fuel Oil Consumption Database from 2019.
These amendments are expected to enter into force on 1 March 2018, under the tacit acceptance procedure with the first reporting period being for the 2019 calendar year.
By virtue of these amendments,
• Ships with 5.000 GT and above will have to start collecting data on fuel consumption and transport work from 2019 according to the Methodology set out in the Ship Energy Efficiency Monitoring Plan (SEEMP) and submit the relative annual reports to their Flag Administration,
• New (2016) Guidelines for the Development of a Ship Energy Efficiency Monitoring Plan (SEEMP) were adopted with Resolution MEPC.282(70) which superseded the 2012 SEEMP Guidelines; the SEEMP of the vessels will have to be updated before 2019,
• Aggregated data on fuel consumption will be reported to the ship’s flag State after the end of each calendar year,
• Upon verification of the submitted data, the Administrations will issue to the ships a Statement of Compliance related to fuel oil consumption,
• The Administrations will submit aggregated data to IMO Ship Fuel Oil Consumption Database for anonymized publication.
Ship-owners and operators will need to start considering the means for collecting the fuel oil consumption data that is most appropriate for each ship and updating the SEEMPs of their ships to reflect this process.
Ship-owners and operators whose vessels call EU ports have to consider also the EU MRV regulations which will enter into force this year, for undertaking the appropriate actions for compliance with these requirements as well.
Find here the IMO Resolution MEPC.278(70) - 2016 Guidelines for the development of SEEMP as adopted at MEPC.70, for further information.
Additionally, IMO is also developing Draft Guidelines for Administration data verification procedures in order to assist Administrations with the verification of the reported data and the issuance of the Statement of Compliance.
MEPC.71 (July 2017) is expected to finalize and adopt these guidelines.
Do not hesitate to contact our office for any clarifications you may need on the above.
PHRS Head Office
NL 165/17 | Palau International Ship Registry - New and Revised Marine Circulars & Marine Notices
Refers to: Palau Ship Owners
Action Date: Various
We would like to inform you about the new and revised Marine Notices (MN) and Marine Circulars (MC) issued by the Palau International Ship Registry (PISR):
- MC 16-028: Maritime Labor Convention (MLC, 2006) Amendments (Resent with text of the amendments of 2014 to the Maritime Labor Convention, 2006 adopted by the Special Tripartite Committee on 11 April 2014).
- MN 16-031: Ballast Water Management 2004. (NEW)
- MC 16-032: Recognized Organizations for Polar Ship Certificates. (NEW)
Do not hesitate to contact our office for any clarification you may need on the above.
Phoenix Register of Shipping is proud to be among the Silver Sponsors of the Athens Money Show 2017, which will take place at Hilton Athens on January 9th 2017.
PH.R.S being one of the Silver Sponsors is going to actively support the organization of Money Show 2017, which is one of the largest multi-conferences in Europe regarding financial investments & development.
Athens Money Show will be held at Hilton Athens under the auspices of the Ministry of Tourism, the Hellenic- Chinese Chamber of Commerce and of the Athens Medical Accosiation.
Save the date and visit us at Athens Money Show 2017 on January 9th from 9 a.m!
Refers to: Ship Owners / Operators of Sierra Leonean Vessels, PH.R.S. Representatives
Action Date: Various
We would like to inform you about the policy adopted by the Sierra Leone Maritime Administration (SLMARAD) regarding new registrations of vessels trading in Paris/Med/Black seas.
It has been decided by the SLMARAD that vessels above 25 years of age will not be accepted for registration without having IACS Classification.
This policy has been adopted as a preventative measure to reduce the detentions received in the Paris/Med/Black MoUs. Please note that IACS Classification indicated above, refers solely to the Classification Certificate. The rest of the statutory certificates can be issued by any other approved RO.
Kindly also note that the below Maritime Circulars have been revised:
- Maritime Circular No.10 - Minimum Safe Manning Requirements
- Maritime Circular No.33* – Amendments of 2014 to the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006
* Please click here for the latest DMLC Part II which was amended to include the relevant changes.
Do not hesitate to contact our office for any clarification you may need on the above.