Amendments to MARPOL Annexes issued by IMO

The Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), at its 76th session, has issued Amendments to The Annex of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973, as Modified by the Protocol of 1978 Relating Thereto.

The proposed amendments are to MARPOL Annex I concerning the prohibition on the use and carriage for use as fuel of heavy fuel oil by ships in Arctic waters and Annexes I and IV concerning the exemption of unmanned non-self-propelled (UNSP) barges from survey and certification requirements.

Prohibition on the use and carriage for use as fuel of heavy fuel oil by ships in Arctic waters

The amendments to MARPOL Annex I are set in chapter 9. The title of the chapter is changed and the new regulation 43A, regarding Special requirements for the use and carriage of oils as fuel in Arctic waters, is added after existing regulation 43.

Exemption of UNSP barges from certain survey and certification requirements

In the MARPOL Annex I regulations 1, 3, 8, and 9 are changed and the new appendix IV is added. A new paragraph 40 is added to Regulation 1. Additionally, in Regulation 3 paragraph 2 is changed and a new paragraph 7 is added. Paragraph 4 is changed in Regulation 8 and in Regulation 9 the existing paragraph is numbered as 1 and a new paragraph 2 is added.

Amendments to MARPOL Annex IV are presented in Regulation 1 where a new paragraph 16 is added, in Regulation 3 the title is changed and a new paragraph 2 is added, paragraph 4 in Regulation 6 is changed as well.

Moreover, in Regulation 7 the existing paragraph is numbered as paragraph 1 and the reference to "appendix" is replaced by "appendix 1", also, a new paragraph 2 is added and the existing appendix is numbered as appendix I and a new appendix II is added.

These amendments enter into force on November 1st, 2022.