Report of MSC 103 - 5 to 14 May 2021

A substantial part of the work of MSC 103, which took place from May 5 to 14, 2021, was devoted to the difficulties faced by seafarers as a result of the current pandemic crisis. The fight against piracy was also widely discussed.

At the technical level, MSC 103 adopted the results of the regulatory scoping exercise (RSE) for the use of maritime autonomous surface ships (MASS) (item 5), a large-scale work that consisted in evaluating the various existing international regulations based  on questions raised by the different conceivable degrees of ship automation.

The outcome of the RSE provides the assessment of the degree to which the existing regulatory framework under its purview might be affected in order to address MASS operations. It further provides guidance to MSC and interested parties to identify, select and decide on future work on MASS.

This exercise now closed, the MSC called on the Member States to send it their suggestions to initiate new reflections on this subject.

The very sensitive issue of safety of ships relating to the use of oil fuel has seen significant progress (item 6). SOLAS amendments has been drafted on the reporting of confirmed cases where oil fuel suppliers have failed to meet the flashpoint requirements, and on actions against oil fuel suppliers that have been found to deliver oil fuel that does not comply with minimum flashpoint requirements. An action plan for the development of measures to enhance the safety of ships relating to the use of oil fuel has been also prepared.

MSC 103 also approved, in principle, the basic structure of the framework Model Regulations on Domestic Ferry Safety (item 8) and a Working Group on Domestic Ferry Safety at MSC 104 to further develop the model regulations.

It is also worth noting the inclusion of two new outputs in the MSC work program:

• Development of amendments to SOLAS chapter II- 2 and the FSS Code concerning detection and control of fires in cargo holds and on the cargo deck of containerships ;
• Development of amendments to SOLAS regulation II-1/3-4 to apply requirements for emergency towing equipment for tankers to other types of ships.

Due to time constraints, following items have been deferred to MSC 104 :

• Updating the Harmonized System of Survey and Certification (HSSC) Guidelines
• GBS