A recent Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) regulatory and technical update held in London made me realise just how challenging it is for the passenger shipping industry when political agendas form the backdrop of legislation aimed at this sector. The update flagged up two particular areas of regulatory activity that are examples of those affected by political agendas: the Baltic Special Area initiative and the IMO Polar Code. A lot of the industry's focus is currently on the upcoming IMO low sulphur regulations that are due to take effect on 1 January 2015, but I came away from the briefing convinced that passenger ship operators must make these two regulatory developments a high priority if they are involved in these geographical areas.
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