Fit for approval?

摘要

Next month, the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) will be presented with clean draft texts for each of the two proposed new pollution categorisation systems to form the backbone of the comprehensively revised Annex II of the Marine Pollution (Marpol) Convention. Thanks to this breakthrough, it is expected that the target timetable for formal adoption of the draft revised annex in 2005 and its entry into force in 2007 will remain unchanged. The finalised texts were prepared by the Sub-committee on Bulk Liquids and Gases (BLG) at its eighth meeting this past March 24 to 28. Although the Sub-committee could not reach agreement on which of the two categorisation systems to recommend for approval and final adoption by MEPC, it was able to complete all outstanding drafting on the revised texts of the annex for both the new five-category system (A, B, C, D and Appendix III substances) and the new three-category system (X, Y, and Z). This work was completed by the Sub-committee's working group on the evaluation of safety and pollution hazards (ESPH). Its labours resulted in 100 per cent clean texts, which the Sub-committee agreed were fit to be presented for approval in July.