Regulation

Scott Bergeron of the Liberian Registry emphasizes that investing in a flag state with a caliber record will reduce likelihood of shipowner costs in the long term and addresses issues the maritime registry community faces today.

The European Union will introduce new port state inspection policies effective January 1, 2011 to increase safety and reduce risks of environmental damage.

The Marshall Islands Registry has made it clear that the Deepwater Horizon was always properly crewed as a Dynamically Positioned Vessel (DPV) even though one form, the Minimum Safe Manning Certificate, referred to the vessel as a Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit (MODU) without dynamic positioning, during the registration process in 2004.

The ISRR recommends readers visit our partner site, e3forum, for updates on the explosion of an offshore rig in the Gulf of Mexico on Thursday.

India's environment minister Jairam Ramesh has announced intent to adopt the International Maritime Organization bunker convention in light of the bunker spill caused by a collision near the Jawaharlal Nehru Port.

Adoption of the IMO convention would provide India with guidance related to how to manage the consequences of incidents such as this spill.

Laura Sherman of the Marshall Islands Registry discusses how Greece's expected lifting of cabotage laws for cruise vessels should benefit their flag and the shipping market as a whole.

Maersk Line President John Reinhart recently submitted recommendations to the US House Subcommittee on the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation on how to increase national fleet size. Reinhart asked that the government maintain current programs to support the US Flag as well as develop ways control registry costs.

India's Ministry of Shipping now permits national shipowners to charter foreign flag vessels in order to further develop the nation's shipping and cargo industries.

Greece has restructured its cruise law to allow vessels registered in all flag states to enter its ports.

Recently the European Union joined the United States and the United Nations in announcing sanctions against Iran as a response to the rogue state's support of weapons programs.