During this year’s bilaterial meeting between IACS and IUMI, IACS informed the IUMI delegation of a new scoring methodology for Recognised Organisations (ROs) which is used by the Paris and Tokyo MOUs. This new approach will have implications for ROs and potentially marine insurers as well, particularly regarding the qualification and oversight of Port State Control Officers (PSCOs).
There is a difference between deficiency types that are largely objective (e.g. documentary absence) and those requiring a greater degree of professional judgement (e.g. functional testing, interpretation of equivalencies, assessment of “serious deterioration”). For the latter, PSCO training and qualification requirements should be extended because where PSCO qualification or arrangements are uneven, similar technical or operational situations may be handled differently from port to port or officer to officer. This can create uncertainty for masters, companies, ROs, administrations and ultimately also for insurers because it may be unclear whether a matter reflects a ship-specific deficiency or a difference in inspection practice.
As an action to address these inconsistencies, IACS proposed that the IMO audit treatment of PSCO qualification and oversight could be clarified and applied more consistently. IUMI co-sponsored an IMO submission in support of this proposal. During the 12th session of the Sub-Committee on the Implementation of IMO Instruments in July 2026, the proposal did however not gather sufficient support by Member States to be taken forward. One point of criticism was that the proposal appears to be premature due to the recent adoption of the PSC Guidelines. It was, however, agreed to review the specific cases outlined in the paper. IACS and IUMI will continue to monitor potential developments on this matter.
