Port State Control to Target Sulfur Compliance

The two major port State control regimes, Paris MoU and Tokyo MoU, will increase focus on the sulfur limit regulations after reaching an agreement to carry out a Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) in 2018 focusing on air pollution from ships.

Port State control authorities across 45 countries and five continents – South America, North America, Europe, Asia and Australia – will take part. 

Cooperation on efficient enforcement has become even more important after United Nations' IMO agreed last week that a global sulfur limit of 0.5 percent will enter into force in 2020, said the Danish Maritime Authority.

The decision was made on the basis of a Danish/Dutch proposal, and the 2018 campaign is the result of efforts made by Denmark to ensure enhanced international focus on enforcement. However, as early as in 2015 especially low limits were introduced in the so-called SECAs (Sulfur Emission Control Areas), and thus the Danish authorities are constantly engaged in work on both the political and the technological side of efficient enforcement.

Peter Krog-Meyer, Senior Adviser of the Danish Maritime Authority: “We have achieved two important results. Firstly, all over the world there will be even more focus on whether ships meet the sulfur limits. Secondly, it is a strong signal that so many important port states now clearly show that we have joined forces in our efforts to enhance the enforcement of the sulfur provisions across the borders.”

Krog-Meyer says: “In Denmark, we have been striving to ensure stronger enforcement for years, and the 2018 inspection campaign is merely one element of much greater efforts that are already being made. And this process will be speeded up in 2017 after the IMO decision on a global sulfur limit in 2020.”

A Concentrated Inspection Campaign means that all 45 countries covered by the Port State Control schemes carry out an especially thorough examination of a chosen area, such as sulfur, when their Port State Control Officers embark foreign ships. The efforts made will increase compliance with regulations and contribute to ship crews' awareness of the new regulations and the consequences of any violations.