CHAPTER III

VERIFICATION AND ACCREDITATION

Scope of verification activities and verification report
Article 13
1
The verifier shall assess the conformity of the monitoring plan with the requirements laid down in Articles 6 and 7. Where the verifier's assessment identifies non-conformities with those requirements, the company concerned shall revise its monitoring plan accordingly and submit the revised plan for a final assessment by the verifier before the reporting period starts. The company shall agree with the verifier on the timeframe necessary to introduce those revisions. That timeframe shall in any event not extend beyond the beginning of the reporting period.
2
The verifier shall assess the conformity of the emissions report with the requirements laid down in Articles 8 to 12 and Annexes I and II.
In particular the verifier shall assess whether the CO2 emissions and other relevant information included in the emissions report have been determined in accordance with Articles 8, 9 and 10 and the monitoring plan.
3
Where the verification assessment concludes, with reasonable assurance from the verifier, that the emissions report is free from material misstatements, the verifier shall issue a verification report stating that the emissions report has been verified as satisfactory. The verification report shall specify all issues relevant to the work carried out by the verifier.
4
Where the verification assessment concludes that the emissions report includes misstatements or non-conformities with the requirements of this Regulation, the verifier shall inform the company thereof in a timely manner. The company shall then correct the misstatements or non-conformities so as to enable the verification process to be completed in time and shall submit to the verifier the revised emissions report and any other information that was necessary to correct the non-conformities identified. In its verification report, the verifier shall state whether the misstatements or non-conformities identified during the verification assessment have been corrected by the company. Where the communicated misstatements or non-conformities have not been corrected and, individually or combined, lead to material misstatements, the verifier shall issue a verification report stating that the emissions report does not comply with this Regulation.

General obligations and principles for the verifiers
Article 14
1
The verifier shall be independent from the company or from the operator of a ship and shall carry out the activities required under this Regulation in the public interest. For that purpose, neither the verifier nor any part of the same legal entity shall be a company or ship operator, the owner of a company, or be owned by them, nor shall the verifier have relations with the company that could affect its independence and impartiality.
2
When considering the verification of the emissions report and of the monitoring procedures applied by the company, the verifier shall assess the reliability, credibility and accuracy of the monitoring systems and of the reported data and information relating to CO2 emissions, in particular:
a
the attribution of fuel consumption to voyages;
b
the reported fuel consumption data and related measurements and calculations;
c
the choice and the employment of emission factors;
d
the calculations leading to the determination of the overall CO2 emissions;
e
the calculations leading to the determination of the energy efficiency.
3
The verifier shall only consider emissions reports submitted in accordance with Article 12 if reliable and credible data and information enable the CO2 emissions to be determined with a reasonable degree of certainty and provided that the following are ensured:
a
the reported data are coherent in relation to estimated data that are based on ship tracking data and characteristics such as the installed engine power;
b
the reported data are free of inconsistencies, in particular when comparing the total volume of fuel purchased annually by each ship and the aggregate fuel consumption during voyages;
c
the collection of the data has been carried out in accordance with the applicable rules; and
d
the relevant records of the ship are complete and consistent.

Verification procedures
Article 15
1
The verifier shall identify potential risks related to the monitoring and reporting process by comparing reported CO2 emissions with estimated data based on ship tracking data and characteristics such as the installed engine power. Where significant deviations are found, the verifier shall carry out further analyses.
2
The verifier shall identify potential risks related to the different calculation steps by reviewing all data sources and methodologies used.
3
The verifier shall take into consideration any effective risk control methods applied by the company to reduce levels of uncertainty associated with the accuracy specific to the monitoring methods used.
4
The company shall provide the verifier with any additional information that enables it to carry out the verification procedures. The verifier may conduct spot-checks during the verification process to determine the reliability of reported data and information.
5
The Secretary of State may make regulations to further specify the rules for the verification activities referred to in this Regulation. The Secretary of State shall take into account the elements set out in Part A of Annex III. The rules specified in those delegated acts shall be based on the principles for verification provided for in Article 14 and on relevant internationally accepted standards.

Accreditation of verifiers
Article 16
1
Verifiers that assess the monitoring plans and the emissions reports, and issue verification reports and documents of compliance referred to in this Regulation shall be accredited for activities under the scope of this Regulation by a national accreditation body pursuant to Regulation (EC) No 765/2008.
2
Where no specific provisions concerning the accreditation of verifiers are laid down in this Regulation, the relevant provisions of Regulation (EC) No 765/2008 shall apply.
3
The Secretary of State may make regulations to further specify the methods of accreditation of verifiers. The Secretary of State shall take into account the elements set out in Part B of Annex III. The methods specified ... shall be based on the principles for verification provided for in Article 14 and on relevant internationally accepted standards.
Words in Art. 15(5) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Merchant Shipping (Monitoring, Reporting and Verification of Carbon Dioxide Emissions) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1388), regs. 1, 3(11)(a); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
Words in Art. 16(3) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Merchant Shipping (Monitoring, Reporting and Verification of Carbon Dioxide Emissions) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1388), regs. 1, 3(12)(b); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
Words in Art. 16(3) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Merchant Shipping (Monitoring, Reporting and Verification of Carbon Dioxide Emissions) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1388), regs. 1, 3(12)(a); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
Words in Art. 15(5) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Merchant Shipping (Monitoring, Reporting and Verification of Carbon Dioxide Emissions) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1388), regs. 1, 3(11)(b); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)
Words in Art. 16(3) omitted (31.12.2020) by virtue of The Merchant Shipping (Monitoring, Reporting and Verification of Carbon Dioxide Emissions) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2018 (S.I. 2018/1388), regs. 1, 3(12)(c); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)