The 20th anniversary of the Paris Memorandum was marked by a number of events that will determine action for the years ahead. Two major inspection campaigns identified much room for improvement of issuing STCW certificates and implementation of the ISM Code. New amendments to the memorandum give more muscle to enforcement, including the introduction of ‘three strikes and out’ for substandard ships. The  sinking of the oil tanker Prestige and the resulting oil disaster underline the need for more strict port State control actions.