The harmonised voluntary interim regime is being submitted
under paragraph 3 of Article 13 of the International Convention for
the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments (Ballast Water Management Convention) whereby Parties
with common interest to protect the environment, human health, property
and resources, particularly those bordering enclosed or semi-enclosed
seas, shall endeavour to enhance regional cooperation, including through
the conclusion of regional agreements consistent with the Convention.
The proposed arrangements take into account other adopted regional
policies on ship's ballast water exchange.
The regime forms also part of a regional strategy on ships'
ballast water management, developed within the Mediterranean Action
Planfootnote, with the technical support
of the GloBallast Partnerships Projectfootnote.
It is based on the requirements of the Ballast Water Management Convention
and is being proposed as an interim regime. The regime is voluntary;
therefore, ships entering the Mediterranean Sea area are encouraged
to apply these guidelines on a voluntary basis as from 1st January
2012.
This regime will no longer apply when a ship meets the ballast
water performance standard contained in regulation
D-2 of the Convention, or when the Convention comes into force
and a ship has to apply the D-2 standard in accordance with the application
dates set out in regulation B-3 of
the Convention.