CHAPTER IIVERIFICATION ACTIVITIES
SECTION 1 Assessment of monitoring plans
Article 4Information to be provided by companies
1.
Companies shall provide the verifier with their ship's monitoring plan using a template corresponding to the model set out in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1927. If the monitoring plan is in a language other than English, they shall provide an English translation.
2.
Before the start of the assessment of the monitoring plan, the company shall also provide the verifier with at least the following information:
(a)
relevant documentation or description of the ship's installations, including emissions sources certificates, flow meters used (if applicable), procedures and processes or flowcharts prepared and maintained outside the plan, where applicable, to which reference is made in the plan;
(b)
in the event of those changes to the monitoring and reporting system referred to in points (c) and (d) of Article 7(2) of Regulation (EU) 2015/757, relevant updated versions or new documents enabling the assessment of the amended plan.
3.
The company shall, upon request, provide any other information deemed relevant to carry out its assessment of the plan.
Article 5Assessment of monitoring plans
1.
When assessing the monitoring plan, the verifier shall address the assertions of completeness, accuracy, relevance and conformity with Regulation (EU) 2015/757 of the information provided in the monitoring plan.
2.
The verifier shall at least:
(a)
assess that the company used the appropriate monitoring plan template and that information is provided for all mandatory items referred to in Annex I to Implementing Regulation (EU) 2016/1927;
(b)
verify that the information in the monitoring plan accurately and completely describes the emission sources and measurement equipment installed on board the ship and the systems and procedures in place to monitor and report relevant information pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2015/757;
(c)
ensure that adequate monitoring arrangements are provided for in the event of the ship seeking to benefit from the derogation of ‘per voyage’ monitoring of fuel and CO2 emissions pursuant to Article 9(2) of Regulation (EU) 2015/757;
(d)
3.
For the purpose of assessing the monitoring plan, the verifier may resort to inquiry, document inspection, observation and any other audit technique deemed appropriate.
Article 6Site visits
1.
The verifier shall carry out site visits in order to gain sufficient understanding of the procedures described in the monitoring plan and validate that the information therein is accurate.
2.
The verifier shall determine the location or locations of the site visit after taking into consideration the place where the critical mass of relevant data is stored, including electronic or hard copies of documents of which the originals are kept on the ship, and the place where data-flow activities are carried out.
3.
The verifier shall also determine the activities to be performed and the time needed for the site visit.
4.
By way of derogation from paragraph 1, the verifier may waive a site visit provided that one of the following conditions is fulfilled:
(a)
it has sufficient understanding of the ship's monitoring and reporting systems, including their existence, implementation and effective operation by the company;
(b)
the nature and level of complexity of the ship's monitoring and reporting system are such that a site visit is not required;
(c)
its ability to obtain and assess all requisite information remotely.
5.
If the verifier waives a site visit pursuant to paragraph 4, it shall provide justification for not performing site visits in the internal verification documentation.
Article 7Addressing non-conformities in the monitoring plan
1.
Where the verifier identifies non-conformities in the course of the assessment of the monitoring plan, it shall inform the company thereof without undue delay and request relevant corrections within a proposed timeframe.
2.
The company shall correct all non-conformities communicated by the verifier and submit a revised monitoring plan to the verifier according to the agreed timeframe that allows the verifier to reassess it before the start of the reporting period.
3.
The verifier shall document in the internal verification documentation, marking them as resolved, all non-conformities that have been corrected in the course of the assessment of the monitoring plan.
Article 8Independent review of the assessment of the monitoring plan
1.
The verification team shall submit the internal verification documentation and draft conclusions from the assessment of the plan to an appointed independent reviewer without delay and prior to communicating them to the company.
2.
The independent reviewer shall perform a review to ensure that the monitoring plan has been assessed in accordance with this Regulation and that due professional care and judgment have been exercised.
3.
The scope of the independent review shall encompass the complete assessment process described in this Section and recorded in the internal verification documentation.
4.
The verifier shall include the results of the independent review in the internal verification documentation.
Article 9Verifier's conclusions on the assessment of the monitoring plan
On the basis of the information collected during the assessment of the monitoring plan, the verifier shall without delay inform the company in writing of the conclusions reached and indicate whether the monitoring plan:
- (a)
is assessed as being in conformity with Regulation (EU) 2015/757;
- (b)
contains non-conformities that make it not in compliance with Regulation (EU) 2015/757.