UN's July 1 box weigh-in rule lacks enforcement in Europe and US
THE Federation of European Private Port Operators (FEPORT) are complaining like the US shipping community about the lack of policy from state authorities on who will enforce the UN's mandatory container weigh-ins when they go into force from July 1.
FEPORT has called for guidance from national authorities on the implementation of new container weigh-in rules, arguing that the current policy will lead to massive confusion, reports Lloyd's Loading List.
According to the UN's International Maritime Organisation (IMO) all containers to be loaded on a vessel "will need to be accompanied by a Verified Gross Mass (VGM)".
Needed by who is today's question buzzing along waterfronts worldwide. In America, the US Coast Guard will have nothing to do with container weigh-ins other than refusing a ship to proceed with dangerous cargo aboard.
In Europe, while industry actors have released guidelines on the implementation of the UN's Safety of Life at Sea amendment to the convention, no one has come up with an enforcement agency in Europe.
"A lack of national guidelines will ultimately provoke confusion in the implementation and will have an adverse impact on operations and lead to possible competitive distortion," said the FEPORT statement.
While applauding the UN measure, FEPORT again called on national authorities "to work with all actors in the logistics chain to arrive at national guidelines and to adopt a pragmatic approach to implementation which does not lead to competition distortion between member states".
FEPORT has published a position paper clarifying the legal responsibilities of terminal operators as of July 1. "This is crucial to ensure that the logistics chain can continue to function undisturbed," said the statement.
THE Federation of European Private Port Operators (FEPORT) are complaining like the US shipping community about the lack of policy from state authorities on who will enforce the UN's mandatory container weigh-ins when they go into force from July 1.
FEPORT has called for guidance from national authorities on the implementation of new container weigh-in rules, arguing that the current policy will lead to massive confusion, reports Lloyd's Loading List.
According to the UN's International Maritime Organisation (IMO) all containers to be loaded on a vessel "will need to be accompanied by a Verified Gross Mass (VGM)".
Needed by who is today's question buzzing along waterfronts worldwide. In America, the US Coast Guard will have nothing to do with container weigh-ins other than refusing a ship to proceed with dangerous cargo aboard.
In Europe, while industry actors have released guidelines on the implementation of the UN's Safety of Life at Sea amendment to the convention, no one has come up with an enforcement agency in Europe.
"A lack of national guidelines will ultimately provoke confusion in the implementation and will have an adverse impact on operations and lead to possible competitive distortion," said the FEPORT statement.
While applauding the UN measure, FEPORT again called on national authorities "to work with all actors in the logistics chain to arrive at national guidelines and to adopt a pragmatic approach to implementation which does not lead to competition distortion between member states".
FEPORT has published a position paper clarifying the legal responsibilities of terminal operators as of July 1. "This is crucial to ensure that the logistics chain can continue to function undisturbed," said the statement.