Pratik Bijlani –
The Paris MoU has released its 2023 Annual Report, which provides a complete summary of the year’s activities and statistics. This year saw great development, with the Maritime Authority of Montenegro entering the Paris MoU on Port State Control on July 1, 2023. Montenegro’s membership strengthens the region’s collective safety efforts, particularly in the Adriatic Sea, ensuring that ships carrying cargo bound for mainland Europe adhere to the Paris MoU’s stringent inspection standards.
In 2023, the overall detention rate fell to 3.81%, from 4.25% in 2022. While this represents an improvement, the rate has yet to recover to pre-pandemic levels, such as 2.98% in 2019. The Paris MoU is actively monitoring this trend to ensure that maritime safety standards continue to improve.
The report identifies recurring areas of concern from previous years, including deficiencies in SOLAS Chapter II-2 (Construction-Fire Protection, Fire Detection, and Fire Extinction) at 17.3%, SOLAS Chapter II-1 (Construction-Structure, Subdivision and Stability, Machinery, and Electrical Installations) at 11.5%, and MLC Title IV (Health Protection, Medical Care, Welfare, and Social Security Protection) at 10.0%. Specific shortcomings, such as ISM (4.8%), fire doors (3.2%), and engine room cleanliness (1.4%), were particularly high.
Throughout 2023, the number of refusals-of-access, or bans, remained low, with only eleven issued, as in prior years. This stability indicates continual efforts to keep high compliance standards.
In terms of flag performance, there were no noteworthy differences from last year. Despite a very high imprisonment rate, the distribution of flag states into White, Grey, and Black categories remained consistent. Recognised Organisations (ROs) demonstrated constant performance with no notable fluctuations, and the number of ROs in the lowest performance category remained low.
The Paris MoU’s 2023 Annual Report highlights the sustained commitment to improving marine safety and performance among member states.
Marex Media