1. Reasons for Amendment

The Marine Environment Management Act was amended (promulgated on October 24, 2023) to prescribe advance reporting of persons in charge of ship-to-ship operations and introduce a change approval and performance testing system for equipment subject to type approval. Accordingly, this Amendment clarifies qualification requirements for persons in charge of operations, prescribes matters specified by the Act including the change approval and performance testing procedure, increases the scope of ships required to keep ship pollutant record books, and reflects other amendments to the Convention.

2. Major Provisions

A. Increase the scope of ships required to keep ship pollutant record books (Article 23 (1))

Reflect amendments to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships and increase the scope of ships required to keep ship pollutant record books (from a gross tonnage of 400 tons or more to 100 tons or more)

B. Prescribe requirements for persons in charge of ship-to-ship operations (subparagraph 4 of Article 5)

Clarify qualification requirements for persons in charge of ship-to-ship operations based on standards set forth in the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships

C. Prescribe a type approval change procedure (Article 55 (4), Article 56 (1), and attached Table 32)

Newly insert procedures including an application form used to make changes to a type approval, and prescribe standards for addressing fraudulent type approvals and cases where type approval is not obtained

D. Newly insert a performance testing procedure for equipment subject to type approval (Article 60-2)

Newly insert the scope of equipment subject to type approval that may undergo performance tests, standards on serious defects, procedures for supplementation or exchange, etc.