35 Years of Paris MoU on Port State Control
This year it will be 35 years ago that the Memorandum on Port State Control was signed by 14 countries. Since then the agreement has expanded to 27 members and was renamed to Paris Memorandum when other MoUs emerged.
The Paris MoU was established in 1982 and this year we will commemorate the anniversary of this regional Agreement, aimed at eliminating sub-standard shipping.
What started out as an ambitious undertaking by 14 European maritime authorities, cooperating on a mostly technical basis, has developed into a mature organization of 27 Members. They form an effective control mechanism to enhance the safety of shipping, the protection of the marine environment and securing adequate working and living conditions on board ships.
Over the years new initiatives to increase the effectiveness have been introduced. The work of the PSCO has become increasingly complex with new areas of assessment, where more subjective judgements have to be made. Judgements on operational requirements, as well as working conditions, management and security measures have significantly added to their responsibilities.
Much has been accomplished over the past 35 years, we can be sure that the future will present many new challenges.
Please read the Historic Overview of the Paris MoU on PSC noting significant dates.