When the MEPC – the Maritime Environment Protection Committee – gets together in early October to discuss the ballast water rules, the Danish Shipowners’ Association has several requests for changes to the constitution of the rules. One month ago, the International Chamber of Shipping (ICS) announced a demand for fundamental changes to the ballast water convention. The shipowners’ association shares the ICS’ concern, and points to the major problem areas, says Peter Olsen, section chief at the Danish Shipowners’ Association.

First of all, the association is looking for a change of the deadlines in the ballast water convention. When the convention was passed in 2004, the transition rules for existing ships were based on 2009 estimates. The association wants this changed to mean that existing ships will be ships built before the convention comes into effect – which will probably be in 2014. The association has previously mentioned this problem, and the Danish Maritime Authority is now looking to find out how many new ships actually do have ballast water systems installed.