EMEA News
IMO: Relationship between Global Shipping Regs and Regional Implementation Can Be Strong and Very Effective
International Maritime Organization (IMO) Secretary-General Kitack Lim, speaking at the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) in Lisbon on Wednesday, said the relationship between global shipping regulation, through IMO, and regional implementation can be strong and very effective.
Lim said EU Member States have made an invaluable contribution to IMO's work, adding that, over several decades, this contribution has formed the base for shipping to become progressively safer, more efficient and cleaner.
Moving forward, Lim suggests that EU countries will have an equally strong influence in ensuring that IMO measures are universally adopted and implemented in order to create a level playing-field that enables among ship operators.
During the address, Lim also highlighted major EMSA contributions to IMO's work.
"These include the EMSA-hosted International Data Exchange Centre, which ensures the smooth operation of the Long-Range Identification and Tracking (LRIT) system, and third-party audits carried out in countries supplying seafarers – in order to support compliance with the international treaty covering seafarer training (STCW Convention)," explained IMO.
Left unsaid, however, were any further details on how the relationship between IMO regulations and regional implementation will look come 2020, when a global 0.50 percent sulfur cap on bunkers is set to come into force.
Many see how the new rules will be enforced as key to the success of the new cap.
