This stance was confirmed during the Intercargo executive committee meeting in Athens 8 October, held in parallel with the association's 2013 annual general meeting.
The association said when it sought the views of its 170-plus members on issues like emissions the response was "to support, in principle, the IACS position and to work towards some sort of SEEMP-based approach as the most appropriate way forward".
Intercargo chairman, John Platsidakis said air emissions and environmental issues generally, the carriage of hazardous cargoes, incident reporting, reception facilities, piracy, criminalisation, PSC, training manpower and the human element all continue to be high on the priority agenda for Intercargo.
Platsidakis, managing of Anangel Maritime Services, the dry bulk arm of the Angelicoussis Group, noted Intercargo’s direct consultative exercises were particularly important in 2013 when planning strategy on MRV (monitoring, reporting, verification) of air emissions and the post-2015 Panama Canal toll structure for bulk carriers.
MRV in particular is causing concern. The EU proposes creation of a EU-wide legal framework for collecting and publishing verified annual data on CO2 emissions from all ships over 5,000gt using EU ports, irrespective of where the ships are registered. The Commission proposes the regulation enter into force in July 2015.
Intercargo also notes the EU regulations on MRV, published in late June, have a clear link with market based measures to tackle emissions.
The SEEMP was developed through detailed discussions between member states, and with the advice and assistance of the international shipping industry, through a specialised working group on greenhouse gas emissions convened by IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC). The working group also discussed measures such as an EEDI, which will help ensure new ships are built as energy efficient as possible.
Platsidakis, reiterated Intercargo continues to "work extensively and effectively through IMO committees and IACS. He said Intercargo's work programme is "decided by the members themselves" and "successes are seldom achieved through individual effort alone".
Coinciding with the Intercargo agm, was a visit to Greece of the Panama Canal Authority’s administrator Jorge L. Quijano, who met and updated Intercargo members on the expansion works and development of the canal and briefed them on the waterway's developing toll structure when the expanded canal opens to commercial transit.
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