Circular Letter
MSC/Circ.1011/MEPC/Circ.383

 MEASURES TO IMPROVE PORT STATE CONTROL PROCEDURES

(adopted on 8 June 2001)

 

1. The Maritime Safety Committee, at its seventy-fourth session (30 May to 8 June 2001, and the Marine Environment Protection Committee at its forty-sixth session (23 to 27 April 2001) considered a number of recommendations made by the Sub-Committee on Flag State Implementation (FSI) on measures to improve port State control procedures.

 

2. The Committees agreed with the recommendations of the FSI Sub-Committee that the whole concept of port State control of ships will be significantly improved by:

 

.1 greater endeavours made by port States to notify flag States of any detentions of the latter's ships in the most timely and expedient manner possible, making, to this effect, fall use of modem communication facilities, i.e. fax, e-mail, etc.; and

 

.2 establishing a mechanism for a constructive and timely dialogue between flag States and port States on port State control interventions through improved channels of communications between port States and flag States, particularly in cases where flag States are seeking additional information or clarifications regarding detentions.

 

3. In the context of port State control activities, the Committees emphasized that port State control is not, and should not be allowed to become, a profit making enterprise.

 

4. Member Governments are invited to bring this circular to the attention of authorities carrying out port State control activities advising them to bear the above in mind when discharging their responsibilities.

 

ANNEX.

 SAMPLE FOR NOTIFICATION OF DETENTION OF SHIP

 

Flag State/consulate

Classification Society

Fax number

E-mail

 

Number of pages, incl. this

 

Dear Sirs

(Insert ship's name), Hag, IMO No. - Detention of ship

 

The ........... Maritime Authority have on (insert date) carried out an inspection of the above ship at (insert port, country).

 

The ship is detained at (time of detention) hours due to the following detainable deficiencies:

 

1.

 

2.

 

3.

 

4.

 

Enclosed please find a copy of Report of Inspection and Notice of Detention of Ship*.

 

For further enquiries, please contact: (insert name and contact details)

 

Yours faithfully

 

 

_______________

* To be used when national legislation provides for such document to be issued.

 

 

SAMPLE FORM FOR NOTIFICATION OF RELEASE OF SHIP

 

Flag State/consulate

Classification Society

Fax number

E-mail

 

Number of pages, incl. this

 

Dear Sirs

(Insert ship's name), Hag, IMO No. - Release of ship

 

The............Maritime Authority have on (insert date) carried out a

re-inspection of the above ship at (insert port, country).

The ship was released at (insert time of release) hours.

(Insertion of free text, if any)

 

Enclosed please find a copy of the Report of Inspection.