“Port State Control; Progress and performance, highlights of the Paris MoU 2023” The Paris MoU has published its 2023 Annual Report, which can be found on its website (www.parismou.org). This report provides an overview of the activities and statistics of the Paris MoU in 2023. Some highlights of the report are set out in this press release.
One of the important developments during the year was that, as of 1 July 2023, the Maritime Authority of Montenegro became a member of the Paris MoU on Port State Control. This resulted in the strengthening of the safety net formed by the joint efforts of the members of the Paris MoU throughout the region and particularly in the Adriatic Sea.
Ships with cargo destined for mainland Europe now have virtually no choice but to discharge that cargo in a port falling within the scope of the Paris MoU. This means that these ships are subject to the risk-based inspection methodology of the Paris MoU.
The overall detention rate for 2023 (3.81%) is lower than that for 2022 (4.25%). However, the detention rate has not returned to the figures of the pre-Pandemic figures such as 2.98% during 2019. The Paris MoU will closely monitor this trend in the coming years.
Analysis of the deficiencies indicates that, compared to previous years, there is no specific convention or part of a convention that is indicating more areas of non-compliance. The analysis further highlights some continuity with previous years of recurring areas of concern. These areas are: SOLAS Chapter II-2 (Construction-Fire Protection, Fire Detection and Fire Extinction) with 17.3%; SOLAS Chapter II-1 (Construction – Structure, Subdivision and Stability, Machinery and Electrical Installations) with 11.5% and MLC title IV (Health Protection, Medical Care, Welfare And Social Security Protection) with 10.0%.
When considering specific deficiencies, it appears that ISM (4.8%), fire doors (3.2%) and cleanliness of engine room (1.4%) show high rates of non-compliance.
Throughout 2023, the number of refusals-of-access (also known as “bans”) issued remained at a lower level than in the pre-COVID period. There were eleven bans issued during 2023 and this number is aligned with numbers issued in previous years.
In terms of flag performance, there are no major changes compared to the previous year. Although the detention rate is relatively high, the distribution of flag States across categories (White, Grey and Black) has not changed substantially.
Considering the performance of Recognized Organizations (ROs), no concerning trends indicating a significant deviation from the performance in previous years have been identified. A positive observation is that the number of ROs in the lowest performance category remains small.
In addition to the publication of the 2023 Annual Report in PDF format, an on-line summary has also been developed;the link to this can be found on the Paris MoU website.
