The Romanian Naval Authority (ANR) is hosting, between April 25 and 28, the 23rd meeting of the Black Sea Memorandum of Understanding Committee on Port State Control (BS MoU), with the participation of the six member states bordering the Black Sea, representatives of the institution informed on Tuesday, write Agerpres.
According to an ANR press release, the meeting, which opened at 10.00 am, debates aspects related to technical PSC procedures, inspection system, inspection information system, statistical analysis, evaluation of BS MoU performance, regional and inter-regional technical cooperation activities.
The participating member states are Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, the Russian Federation, Turkey and Ukraine, with representatives of Paris MoU and Abudja MoU, as observers.
The BS MoU committee meetings are organised annually and are hosted by the Black Sea riparian states on a rotating basis.
„The Black Sea Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (BS MoU) was concluded on 7 April 2000 and entered into force on 19 December 2000, following the first preparatory meeting in Varna in 1999. The BS MoU members are the maritime authorities of the six states bordering the Black Sea: Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, the Russian Federation, Turkey and Ukraine. They are associated as observers: Maritime Authority of the Republic of Azerbaijan, United States Coast Guard (USCG), International Maritime Organisation (IMO), International Labour Organisation (ILO), Paris Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (Paris MoU), Mediterranean Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control (MedMoU), Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control for West and Central African Region ABUJA MoU and the Riyadh Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control and the Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea against Pollution (BS Commission),” the ANR release shows.
According to the quoted source, the main objective of the Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control in the Black Sea Region is to establish an effective PSC regime through cooperation and harmonization of the activities of member authorities, with the aim of eliminating sub-standard ships, promoting maritime safety, enhancing protection of the marine environment and ensuring optimal working and living conditions on board ships.
