Cyprus makes MOU white list

THE EXECUTIVE Committee of the Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on port state control has decided that Cyprus will be upgraded from the grey to the white list of detentions.

The Committee, which met on Wednesday, acknowledged the significant improvement Cyprus has achieved on its detention rate and security standards of the Cyprus fleet.
An announcement said the Committee also decided that Cyprus would become a regular member of the Paris MOU.

Entry to the prestigious white list will give a new and historic boost to the island’s shipping industry.

The Paris MOU, a coalition of 22 maritime nations, monitors ship detention rates through port state control and compiles a black, grey and white list each year detailing the number of detentions for various countries` flags around the world.

Cyprus only managed to jump from the black list to the grey list two years ago and has steadily crept towards the white list. Being on the Paris MOU black list means a flag’s vessels are subjected to extra close inspection in the areas it covers, which include the waters of the European coastal states and the North Atlantic basin from North America to Europe.

The white list includes 31 flag States. A “hard core” of flag States reappear on the black list, or very high risk, including Albania, North Korea, Tonga and Bolivia.

The aim of the Paris MOU is to at eliminate the operation of sub-standard ships through a harmonised system of port State control. Nearly 20,000 ships a year are inspected in Paris MOU designated ports to ensure they meet international safety security and environmental standards, and that crew members have adequate living and working conditions.

The white list represents quality flags with a consistently low detention record. Germany, Isle of Man, the UK, the US and Sweden are placed highest in terms of performance.

Several flags appearing on the white list use their ranking to advertise themselves as quality registers.
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