The Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Oil Pollution) (Amendment) Regulations 2000

Explanatory Note

(This note does not form part of the Regulations)

These Regulations further amend the Merchant Shipping (Prevention of Oil Pollution) Regulations 1996 to give effect to certain amendments to Annex 1 to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships 1973, as modified by the Protocol of 1978 to that Convention (“MARPOL 73/78”), which were adopted by the Marine Environment Protection Committee (“MEPC”) of the International Maritime Organisation (“IMO”) at its 40th and 41st Sessions.

The amendments adopted by the MEPC (which have the effect of amending Annex I (Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Oil) to MARPOL 73/78) are contained in the following Annexes to Resolutions of the MEPC—

(i) Annex 5 to Resolution MEPC 75(40) adopted on 25th September 1997; and

(ii) Annex 2 to Resolution MEPC 77(41) adopted on 2nd April 1998.

The changes are:

The North West European waters area is made a ‘special area’ for the purposes of Annex 1 to MARPOL 73/78. The area includes the North Sea and its approaches, the Irish Sea and its approaches, the Celtic Sea, the English Channel and its approaches, and part of the North Sea Atlantic immediately to the west of Ireland.

There are new requirements specifying the intact stability criteria of tankers of 5,000 tons deadweight and above in respect of which building contracts were placed on or after 1st February 1999 (or, in the absence of a building contract, at specified later dates).

A regulatory impact assessment has been prepared and a copy laid in the Library of each House of Parliament. Copies may be obtained from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Spring Place, 105 Commercial Road, Southampton SO15 1EG (telephone number 44(0)23 8032 9297). MARPOL 73/78 and MEPC Resolutions and Annexes are obtainable from IMO, 4 Albert Embankment, London SE1 7SR.

Merchant Shipping Notices are obtainable from EROS Marketing Support Services, Delta House, Imber Court Business Park, Orchard Lane, East Molesey, Surrey KT8 0BN (Tel. [phone]).