Flag colour schemes

[Petros]

Paris MoU Black-Grey-White list of Flag States published along with new class performance list

The Paris MoU Committee approved last month the 2006 inspection results and adopted a new flag state performance list (the so-called black-grey-white list) which will take effect from 1 July 2007. This is accompanied by new publication consisting of a performance list for Recognized Organisations (i.e. classification societies), which will be effective from the same date. This new information uses the same methods of calculation as the flag state table, but it only records those detentions that can be related to action under a class survey.

These two listings, covering the period 2004-2006, are part of the material used by port states to calculate the target factors that dictate whether of not a ship merits an inspection.

The 37-strong White List is three flag states bigger than last year, whereas the 16-strong Black List is two shorter - a trend in the right direction for ship safety.

Bottom of the pile are the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Albania and Bolivia, with Belize and Morocco joining the Black List from last year's Grey List. However Taiwan, Turkey, Algeria and the Ukraine have moved from the Black List to the Grey List where they are joined by Azerbaijan which has slipped off the White List.

Top of the pile on the White List, which represents quality flags with a consistently low detention record, are the United Kingdom, Sweden and Finland. They are joined on the White List by Estonia, Switzerland and the Islamic Republic of Iran moving up from the Grey List.

More information will be found in the Paris MoU's 2006 Annual Report, which will be published in July 2007.

Source: Intertanko