EMSA And KRS Seek To Simplify European Ship Inspection Regime

by Ulrika Lomas, for LawAndTax-News.com, Brussels

28 February 2007

It emerged last week that the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and the Korean Register of Shipping (KRS) have concluded a contract to develop a system which will give those responsible for carrying out ship inspections in EU ports a complete list of all the rules and procedures which need to be applied in their work.

The system will be called Rulecheck, and it will enable port state control officers (PSCOs) who inspect selected ships when they are in port to carry out the work more effectively, given the complex elements of EU and international legislation that they need to understand and follow.

“EMSA’s role in this area is to ensure that ship inspections in EU ports are carried out as effectively and consistently as possible throughout the EU,” explained EMSA Executive Director, Willem de Ruiter.

He continued:

“Port state control is one of the most important methods of ensuring ships comply with the relevant international agreed standards and this system, when it is completed, will ensure the PSCO is aware of the exact regulations which apply to each ship."

"This will, in my view, lead to an improvement in the standard of PSC inspections and a harmonisation of inspections throughout the Paris MoU regime. I am sure that the Korean Register will produce an excellent product which, with the assistance of the group of the Paris MoU users, will be what the PSCO needs.”

KRS general manager, Young-Jun Jung added that:

“KRS is very well placed to carry out this task, having demonstrated an excellent track record in carrying out such work previously. We are confident that the successful outcome of this project will assist EMSA with its drive to strengthen, harmonise and improve the standards of the port state control inspection regime within the EU and wider Paris MoU regions."

"As a classification society, this project will not only give us a chance to raise our profile as a leading ship classification society in a traditional sense, but will also provide an opportunity to showcase our innovations and competence in the information technology sector.”

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