At the 93rd meeting of the Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), held at IMO HQ in London from 14 to 23 May, the committee approved, in principle, the draft Polar Code and related SOLAS amendments with a view to formal adoption in November.
The draft Polar Code covers the full range of design, construction, equipment, operational, training, search and rescue and environmental protection matters relevant to ships operating in the inhospitable waters surrounding the two poles. Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) is expected to further consider the environmental chapter at its next session in October (MEPC 67).