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.
IMO PROGRAM OF MEETINGS FOR 2024 |
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8 – 12 January | 5th session of the Joint FAO/ILO/IMO Ad Hoc Working Group on Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing and Related Matters | FAO |
22 – 26 January | SUB-COMMITTEE ON SHIP DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION (SDC) – 10th session | IMO |
5 – 9 February | SUB-COMMITTEE ON HUMAN ELEMENT, TRAINING AND WATCHKEEPING (HTW) – 10th session | IMO |
12 – 16 February | Joint ILO/IMO Working Group (JWG) on Guidelines on the Medical Examination of Fishing Vessel Personnel | ILO |
19 – 23 February | SUB-COMMITTEE ON POLLUTION PREVENTION AND RESPONSE (PPR) – 11th session | IMO |
26 Feb – 1 March | 40th meeting of the Editorial and Technical (E&T) Group (IMSBC Code) | IMO |
27 – 29 February | 2nd meeting of the Joint ILO/IMO Tripartite Working Group (JTWG) to identify and address seafarersʹ issues and the human element | IMO |
4 – 8 March | SUB-COMMITTEE ON SHIP SYSTEMS AND EQUIPMENT (SSE) – 10th session | IMO |
11 – 15 March | 16th meeting of the Intersessional Working Group on Reduction of GHG Emissions from Ships – (ISWG-GHG 16) | IMO |
18 – 22 March | MARINE ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION COMMITTEE (MEPC) – 81st session | IMO |
8 – 12 April | FACILITATION COMMITTEE (FAL) – 48th session | IMO |
15 – 19 April | 47th meeting of the Scientific Group under the London Convention/18th meeting of the Scientific Group under the London Protocol (LC/SG 47) | IMO |
15 – 19 April | 10th meeting of the Expert Group on Data Harmonization | IMO |
22 – 26 April | LEGAL COMMITTEE (LEG) – 111th session | IMO |
29 April – 3 May | IOPC FUNDS/HNS WORKSHOP | IMO |
8 – 10 May | 3rd session of the Joint MSC/LEG/FAL Working Group on MASS | IMO |
15 – 24 May | MARITIME SAFETY COMMITTEE (MSC) – 108th session | IMO |
4 – 13 June | SUB-COMMITTEE ON NAVIGATION, COMMUNICATIONS AND SEARCH AND RESCUE (NCSR) – 11th session | IMO |
17 – 21 June | 3rd session of the Intersessional Working Group on Relations with Non-Governmental Organizations (ISWG-NGO 3) | IMO |
24 – 28 June | TECHNICAL COOPERATION COMMITTEE (TC) – 74th session | IMO |
8 – 12 July | COUNCIL – 132nd session | IMO |
15 – 18 July | IMSO AC 50 | IMO |
22 – 26 July | SUB-COMMITTEE ON IMPLEMENTATION OF IMO INSTRUMENTS (III) – 10th session | IMO |
16 – 20 September | SUB-COMMITTEE ON CARRIAGE OF CARGOES AND CONTAINERS (CCC) – 10th session | IMO |
23 – 27 September | 41st meeting of the Editorial and Technical (E&T) Group (IMSBC Code) | IMO |
30 September – 4 October | MARINE ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION COMMITTEE (MEPC) – 82nd session | IMO |
7 – 11 October | Maritime Radiocommunication Matters | IMO |
7 – 11 October | 11th meeting of the Expert Group on Data Harmonization | IMO |
14 – 18 October | 30th meeting of the Working Group on the Evaluation of Safety and Pollution Hazards of Chemicals (ESPH) | IMO |
24 – 25 October | 16th meeting of the LP Compliance Group | IMO |
28 October – 1 November | 46th CONSULTATIVE MEETING OF CONTRACTING PARTIES (LONDON CONVENTION 1972) 19th MEETING OF CONTRACTING PARTIES (LONDON PROTOCOL 1996) | IMO |
4 – 8 November | 31st meeting of the ICAO/IMO Joint Working Group on Harmonization of Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue | Ireland |
4 – 8 November | IOPC FUNDS | IMO |
18 – 22 November | COUNCIL – 133rd session | IMO |
2 – 6 December | MARITIME SAFETY COMMITTEE (MSC) – 109th session | IMO |
9 – 13 December | IMSO A 29 | IMO |