In the year 1978, a massive oil spill was caused on the coast of France by the grounding of the oil tanker named Amoco Cardiz. Because of this oil spill 12 European Maritime authorities and the European commission decided to develop a harmonized system to inspect foreign ship for defects and deficiencies in their ports.
An agreement was concluded in 1982 which is famously known as Paris Memorandum of Understanding on port state control (Often referred as the Paris MOU). Under this act, each administration decided to inspect at least 25 % of the foreign ships visiting their ports.
MOU’s
After Paris MOU in 1982, other regional MOU have also been signed. Some of the prominent ones are as follows such as: –
- Tokyo MOU
- United States Coast Guard (USCG)
- Vina-Del-Mar Agreement (Latin America)
- Caribbean MOU
- Mediterranean Sea MOU
- Indian Ocean MOU
- Inspection would be carried out on ships coming to a port for the first time or after an absence of 12 months of more
- Inspection would be carried out of ships which have been permitted to leave the port of a state with deficiencies to be rectified
- Inspection would be carried out of ships which have been reported as being deficient by pilots or port authorities
- Ships whose certificates are not in order would be inspected
- Ships which has been involved in any kind of accident such as grounding, collision or stranding on the way to a port will be inspected
- Inspection of ship which are carrying dangerous or polluting goods and have failed to report relevant information would be inspected
- Ships which have been suspended from the class in the preceding 6 months would be inspected
- Ships which have been subject of a report or notification by another authority would be inspected
- Inspection of ships which are accused of an alleged violation of the provision of IMO as to pose a threat to the ship’s crew, property, or environment would be inspected