Interferry and the International Maritime Organization (IMO)
In 2003, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) granted Interferry Consultative Status. This status allows Interferry the opportunity to attend all IMO meetings, to engage in debate and make formal submissions. Voting on regulations is the sole responsibility of the Member States. Since we received Consultative Status, Interferry has been represented at every meeting of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC), and many sub-committee and working group meetings.
Interferry’s involvement with the IMO is critical to ferry operators globally who are governed under IMO international shipping regulations. If shipping regulations deliberated at the IMO, the EU or any other regulatory or governmental body don’t take into account the unique nature of ferry operations in comparison to deep-sea shipping, ferry operators could be disproportionately affected by blanket regulations without the advocacy Interferry provides.
Why Does Interferry’s Representation at the IMO Matter to Domestic Ferry Operators?
While countries with domestic ferry operations are not bound by IMO regulations, most flag states look to the IMO guidelines as a blueprint when developing and modifying their own maritime rules.
Currently, many flag states are referencing and/or implementing the IMO’s greenhouse gases (GHG) regulations as they look to decarbonize their own maritime industries.
Since the ferry sector only represents between 3% to 5% of the total shipping industry, history has proven that the most successful way that domestic ferry operators can ensure that they are not governed under blanket regulations targeted at large, deep-sea shipping vessels, is for Interferry to represent the unique interests of the industry proactively and aggressively at the IMO.
The ferry sector comprises between 3% to 5% of the total shipping industry, and as such is at risk of being governed by blanket regulations targeted at large, deep-sea shipping vessels. Interferry proactively and aggressively represents the unique interests of the entire ferry industry at the IMO, and all ferry operators – including domestic ferries – benefit.