Decision 2023/1082 - EU position within the International Maritime Organization’s Maritime Safety Committee during its 107th session as regards the amendment of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), of the 1994 International Code of Safety for High-speed Craft (the ‘1994 HSC Code’) and the 2000 International Code of Safety for High-speed Craft (the ‘2000 HSC Code’), of the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (the ‘Polar Code’), of the 1978 International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watch-keeping for Seafarers (STCW) and the STWC Code, and of the International Life-Saving Appliances Code (the ‘LSA Code’) - Main contents

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 144/60

Action by the Union in the sector of maritime transport should aim to improve maritime safety and to protect the marine environment and human health.

The Maritime Safety Committee of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) is expected to adopt, during its 107th session (‘MSC 107’) from 31 May to 9 June 2023, amendments to Chapters II-2 and XIV of the 1974 International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), to the 1994 International Code of Safety for High-speed Craft (the ‘1994 HSC Code’) and the 2000 International Code of Safety for High-speed Craft (the ‘2000 HSC Code’), to the International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (the ‘Polar Code’), to the 1978 International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watch-keeping for Seafarers (STCW) and the STWC Code, and to the International Life-Saving Appliances Code (the ‘LSA Code’).

It is appropriate to establish the position to be taken on the Union’s behalf during MSC 107, as the amendments to Chapters II-2 and XIV of SOLAS, to the 1994 HSC Code and the 2000 HSC Code, to the Polar Code, to the STCW Convention and the STWC Code, and to the LSA Code are capable of decisively influencing the content of Union law, namely Regulations (EU) No 1257/2013 (1) and (EU) 2019/1021 (2) of the European Parliament and of the Council, Directives 2002/59/EC (3), 2009/45/EC (4), 2013/53/EU (5), 2014/90/EU (6) and (EU) 2022/993 (7) of the European Parliament and of the Council and Council Directive 97/70/EC (8).

The amendments to Chapter II-2 of SOLAS and to the 1994 and 2000 HSC Codes will prohibit the use of fire-fighting foams containing perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS) in marine fire-fighting. The Union should support those amendments, as PFOS is a harmful substance both to human health and to the marine environment.

The amendments to Chapter XIV of SOLAS and to the Polar Code will facilitate the mandatory application of certain provisions to fishing vessels and will make certain methodologies mandatory in order to determine a ship’s operational capabilities in ice as an essential element of voyage planning. The Union should support those amendments, as they will enhance the safety standards for non-SOLAS ships operating in polar waters.

The amendments to the STCW Convention and the STWC Code will address the use of electronic certificates pursuant to the STCW Convention and the STWC Code. The Union should support those amendments, as the digitalisation of STCW certificates will facilitate the work and reduce the administrative burden for flag administrations, port state control officers and seafarers. Such digitalisation could also allow for the faster identification of fraudulent...