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19 WORK PROGRAMME OF THE COMMITTEE AND SUBSIDIARY BODIES
Application of requirements for the carriage of bio-fuels and bio-fuel blends
19.1 The Committee noted the proposal by the United Kingdom, Sweden and the International Parcel Tankers Association (IPA) (MEPC 55/19) on the application of requirements for the carriage of bio-fuels and bio-fuel blends under the IBC Code and its inclusion as a new item in the work programme of the BLG Sub-Committee and the provisional agenda of BLG 11.
19.2 The Committee also noted that the submission by Norway (MEPC 55/19/5) supported, in principle, the proposal by the United Kingdom, Sweden and IPTA mentioned in paragraph 19.1 but proposed to include the issue on bio-fuels and bio-fuel blends by amending the ongoing work programme item of the BLG Sub-Committee from "Evaluation of safety and pollution hazards of chemicals and preparations of consequential amendments" to "Evaluation of safety and pollution hazards of Annex I and Annex II products and preparation of consequential amendment".
19.3 In accordance with paragraph 2.17 of the Committees' Guidelines (MSC/Circ.1099 - MEPC/Circ.405), the Chairman made a preliminary assessment on the proposed new work programme by the United Kingdom, Sweden and IPTA (MEPC 55/WP.3). The Chairman's assessment showed that the criteria for general acceptance provided in paragraph 2.9 of the Committees' Guidelines had been met.
19.4 The Committee, having considered the proposal by the United Kingdom, Sweden and IPTA as well as the comments by Norway, decided to include a new high-priority item on "application of requirements for the carriage of bio-fuels and bio-fuel blends" in the work programme of the BLG Sub-Committee and in the agenda of the BLG 11, with a target completion date of 2008.
Work programmes and provisional agendas of the BLG and FSI Sub-Committees
19.5 The Committee approved the work programme of the BLG Sub-Committee and the provisional agenda for BLG 11 on the basis of those approved by MSC 81 (MEPC 55/19/1, paragraph 2), with the addition of a new item on "application of requirements for the carriage of bio-fuels and bio-fuel blends" as indicated in paragraph 19.4 above.
19.6 The Committee agreed that there should be a Working Group for the item "Development of guidelines for uniform implementation of the 2004 BWM Convention" at BLG 11.
19.7 The Committee approved the work programme of the FSI Sub-Committee and the provisional agenda for FSI 15 on the basis of those approved by MSC 81 and those proposed changes by FSI 14, which met from 5 to 9 June 2006 after MSC 81.
19.8 The work programme of the BLG and FSI Sub-Committees and the provisional agendas for BLG 11 and FSI 15, as revised and approved by the Committee, are set out in annexes 30 and 31 respectively.
Work programme of the DSC, NAV, DE and STW Sub-Committees, which relate to environmental issues
19.9 The Committee agreed to retain the item of "Guidelines on equivalent methods to reduce on-board NOx emission" as a low priority item in the work programme of the DE Sub-Committee (MEPC 55/19/2, annex), in case there was a need to develop such guidelines in the future.
19.10 The Committee, having taken the above decision, approved the work programmes of the DSC, NAV, DE and STW Sub-Committees which relate to environmental issues, as set out in annex 32.
Proposed international conference on recycling of ships in the biennium 2008-2009
19.11 The Committee, having considered document MEPC 55/19/4 (Secretariat), agreed to request the Council at its ninety-eighth session to consider the allocation of a five-day international conference on recycling of ships and budget in the 2008-2009 biennium to adopt the draft International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships.
Review of progress made in implementing the High-level action plan and priorities for the 2006-2007 biennium
Proposals for the High-level action plan and priorities, including planned output, for the 2008-2009 biennium
19.12 The Committee noted that the information concerning review of progress made in implementing the High-level action plan and priorities for 2006-2007 biennium (MEPC 55/19/7, annex 1) and proposals for the High-level action plan and priorities, including planned output, for 2008-2009 biennium (MEPC 55/19/7, annex 2) would, after updating as requested by the Committee, be submitted to the ninety-eighth session of the Council (June 2007) for referral to the Council Working Group on the Strategic plan to be held in September 2007.
19.13 The Committee also noted that any further information on the progress and proposals for the High-level action plan and priorities for the 2008-2009 biennium (MEPC 55/19/7, annex 2) that would be agreed at MEPC 56 should be incorporated and reported to the twenty-fourth extraordinary session of the Council.
Activities, priorities and plan of meeting weeks of the Committees and their subsidiary bodies
19.14 The Committee recalled that paragraph 2.5 of the Committees' Guidelines (MSC/Circ.1099 - MEPC/Circ.405) required that, at the end of every second year, the Committee Chairmen should submit to their respective Committees a joint plan covering the activities, priorities and meeting requirements of their subsidiary bodies over the following two years.
19.15 The Committee noted that, in preparing the activities and priorities of the Committees, the Chairmen took into account resolution A.971(24) on the High-level action plan of the Organization and priorities for the 2006-2007 biennium; resolution A.970(24) on Strategic plan for the Organization (for the six-year period 2006 to 2011); the provisions of resolution A.900(21) which set the objectives of the Organization in the 2000s; resolution A.901(21) on IMO and technical co-operation in the 2000s; and proposals to the 98th session of the Council, for inclusion in the Organization's High-level action plan and priorities for the 2008-2009 biennium.
19.16 The Committee further noted that the Committees' Chairmen took into account the technical workload of the Organization, the priorities assigned by the Assembly in resolution A.971(24) to subjects for consideration by the MSC and MEPC and the advice provided by the Chairmen of the sub-committees in preparing the following plan of meeting weeks for the MSC and the MEPC and their subsidiary bodies for the biennium 2008-2009:
| Year |
MSC |
MEPC |
BLG |
DSC |
FP |
FSI |
COMSAR |
NAV |
DE |
SLF |
STW |
Total |
| 2008 |
3 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
14 |
| 2009 |
1.5 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
11.5 |
| Grand total (weeks) |
25.5 |
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19.17 The Committee approved, subject to concurrent decision of the MSC, the above plan of meeting weeks of the MSC and the MEPC and their subsidiary bodies for the biennium 2008-2009, for inclusion in the Secretary-General's relevant budget proposals.
Items to be included in the Committee's agenda for its forthcoming three sessions
19.18 The Committee approved the items to be included in the agendas for MEPC 56, MEPC 57 and MEPC 58 (MEPC 55/WP.2), which are set out in annex 33.
Dates for MEPC 56, MEPC 57 and MEPC 58
19.19 The Committee noted that MEPC 56 would be held from 9 to 13 July 2007 and that MEPC 57 and MEPC 58 were scheduled tentatively in March 2008 and October 2008, respectively.
Correspondence groups
19.20 The Committee agreed to establish the following intersessional correspondence groups to meet before MEPC 56:
.1 correspondence group on ship recycling;
.2 correspondence group on the review of MARPOL Annex V; and
.3 correspondence group on the Washwater Criteria for Exhaust Gas-SOx Scrubber Systems.
Intersessional meetings
19.21 The Committee agreed to hold the following intersessional meetings:
.1 ESPH Working Group to be held some time in 2007 as agreed under agenda item 10;
.2 OPRC-HNS Technical Group to be held in the week prior to MEPC 56 in July 2007, which should report to MEPC 56; and
.3 Ship Recycling Working Group to be held some time before MEPC 56 to further develop the draft convention on ship recycling.
Working/review/drafting groups at MEPC 56
19.22 The Committee agreed, in principle, to establish the following working/review/drafting groups at MEPC 56:
.1 Review Group on Ballast Water Technologies;
.2 Working Group on Ship Recycling;
.3 Working Group on Air Pollution;
.4 Working Group on the Human Element; and
.5 Drafting Group on Amendments to Mandatory Instruments.
20 APPLICATION OF THE COMMITTEES' GUIDELINES
20.1 The Committee noted that the Chairmen of the MSC, MEPC and Sub-Committees met on 12 May 2006 with the objective to work towards maximizing the efficiency and effectiveness of the Committees and Sub-Committees, including amendments to the Committees' Guidelines (MSC/Circ.1099 - MEPC/Circ.405) in line with the Strategic plan of the Organization and High-level action plan and priorities, adopted by resolutions A.970(24) and A.971(24), respectively.
Report of the 2006 Chairmen's meeting and outcome of MSC 81 on the report of the 2006 Chairmen's meeting
20.2 The Committee recalled that the issues related to the Strategic plan of the Organization and the High-level action plan and priorities were dealt with under agenda item 19.
20.3 The Committee considered the report of the 2006 Chairmen's meeting (MEPC 55/20) in conjunction with the outcome of MSC 81 on the aforementioned report (MEPC 55/20/1) and took the following actions:
.1 approved the draft amendments to the Committee's Guidelines developed in the context of the requests in resolution A.971(24);
.2 agreed to the action with regard to review process for the High-level action plan and priorities, including planned output, for the 2006-2007 biennium;
.3 agreed that the start of working groups' work on Monday mornings was an option and should be decided at the plenary with caution; however, wherever possible, terms of reference of working groups should be agreed at the previous sessions of the parent Committee(s) or Sub-Committee(s);
.4 noted the discussion on splinter group(s) of working groups;
.5 requested the Secretariat to make every effort for the timely posting of documents on IMODOCS website and also requested Member Governments and international organizations to submit documents as early as possible and not just on deadlines of the submission of documents;
.6 noted that the Chairmen's meeting was not in a position to decide on the proposal to reduce the deadline for new work programme items from 20 weeks to 13 weeks and that it should be considered and decided by the Committees and action taken as appropriate;
.7 noted that the meeting favoured the modification of paragraphs 1.10.2 to 4.10.7 of the Committees' Guidelines by replacing the words "at IMO Headquarters" by the words "at IMO Headquarters and on the IMO documents website"; and
.8 agreed that the Committees' Guidelines should be amended and requested the Secretariat to prepare draft amendments to the Guidelines for submission to EPC 55 and MSC 82 for consideration.
20.4 Regarding paragraph 20.3.6 above, the Committee noted that MSC 81 had already decided that the deadline should be reduced to 13 weeks and the new deadline should take effect from MSC 82 (December 2006) and, accordingly, also decided to reduce the deadline to 13 weeks and to take effect from MEPC 56 (July 2007).
Review of the Committee's Guidelines
20.5 The Committee recalled that the existing Guidelines on the organization and method of work of the MSC and the MEPC and their subsidiary bodies were approved by MSC 77 and MEPC 49 and issued as a joint circular MSC/Circ.1099 - MEPC/Circ.405.
20.6 The Committee also recalled that MSC 80 and MEPC 53 in 2005, having considered the outcome of the 2005 Chairmen's meeting and other issues relating to the Committees' work and working methods, had taken a number of decisions, as reflected in documents MSC 80/24, section 20 and MEPC 53/24, section 21, which should be incorporated in the Guidelines.
20.7 The Committee recalled that, under the current Committees' Guidelines, only working groups and drafting groups could be established. With a view to accommodating the need of other groups required under environmental conventions, the Committee decided to include technical groups and review groups in the Committees' Guidelines.
20.8 The Committee noted that the draft amendments to the Committees' Guidelines as annexed to document MEPC 55/20/1 were considered and agreed to by the Committees up to MEPC 54 and MSC 81.
20.9 The Committee, after due consideration and subject to concurrent decision of MSC 82, approved all the draft amendments to the Committees' Guidelines contained in the annex to document MEPC 55/20/1, including new paragraph 3.29 concerning MEPC's "technical or review groups".
20.10 The delegation of Brazil, referring to paragraph 19 of the document MEPC 55/20/1, suggested that the establishment of technical groups and review groups should be applicable to MSC. In response, the Chairman stated that matters concerning the MSC could only be decided by that Committee and, therefore, Brazil might consider making such a proposal to MSC 82.
20.11 The Committee requested the Secretariat to prepare, subject to concurrent decision of MSC 82, a revised text of the Committees' Guidelines, incorporating all the amendments, and issue it as new MSC/MEPC circular, superseding MSC/Circ.1099 - MEPC/Circ.405.
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