PANAMA MARITIME AUTHORITY Directorate General of Merchant Marine
Segumar Panama
Merchant Marine Circular No. 180
To: Ship owners/Operators, Legal Representatives, Recognized Organizations, Masters of Panamanian Flagged Vessels Subject: Entry into force of the Bunkers Convention
References: International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage of 2001 (Bunkers Convention).
Resolution N°.106-33-DGMM Bunker Convention
1. The purpose of this Merchant Marine Circular is to provide the guidelines to be followed in order to obtain the Bunkers Convention Certificate or the Statement of Compliance issued by the Republic of Panama taking into account that this Convention will enter into force on 21 November 2008 as well as the firm interest of this Administration to ratify the said Convention prior to its entry into force.
2. As the Bunkers Convention establishes it in Article 7.1 “the registered owner of a ship having a gross tonnage greater than 1000 registered in a State Party shall be required to maintain insurance or other financial security, such as the guarantee of a bank or similar financial institution, to cover the liability of the registered owner for pollution damage in an amount equal to the limits of liability under the applicable national or international limitation regime, but in all cases, not exceeding an amount calculated in accordance with the Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims, 1976, as amended”.
3. Being also that the Bunkers Convention, on Article 7.2 establishes that “a certificate attesting that insurance or other financial security is in force in accordance with the provisions of this Convention shall be issued to each ship after the appropriate authority of a State Party has determined that the requirements of paragraph 1 have been complied with”. And also that, States that have already ratified the Convention may not allow vessels, to which this convention applies, to enter or leave their ports upon entry into force of this convention.
4. Until this Administration finalizes the formal process of ratifying the Bunker Convention, Owners/Operators, or Representatives of Panamanian flagged vessels are given the following two (2) options:
already ratified the Bunkers Convention. Once Panama ratifies this Convention, all vessels flying the Panamanian flag should carry onboard the Bunkers Convention Certificate issued by this Administration which will be valid throughout the validity of the insurance or other financial security. However, if the vessel is holding a certificate issued by another Member State, it will be valid until its expiry date.
The following is the list of the Member States which have already ratified this Convention and through which Owners/Operators, or Representatives of vessels flying the Panamanian flag can apply, in order to obtain this certificate until its ratification by this Administration: Bahamas, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Estonia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Jamaica, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Marshall Islands, Norway, Poland, Samoa, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Tonga, and the United Kingdom. (See attached contact list).
4.2. As mentioned before, the Panamanian Administration has requested to the General Assembly the ratification of the convention; in the meantime this Administration has adopted through our national legislation the same content and technical requirements specified in the convention in order to issue a
temporary Certificate of Compliance. In order to issue this certificate, the Owners/Operators, or Representatives of vessels flying the Panamanian flag shall comply with all the requirements stated on Article 7.1 and 7.12 of the Convention.
5. This request shall be submitted through our SEGUMAR PANAMA offices at the following email address: [email protected] along with the proof of insurance or other financial security (Blue Card).
6. Attached to this Merchant Marine Circular, you will find the form for requesting the Certificate of Compliance with the Bunker Convention.
7. These options will be temporary and free of charge, until the ratification of the International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage of 2001 by Panama.
Note: Since our country is not yet party to this convention, this certificate of compliance is issued at owner’s request, and this Administration can not guarantee its acceptance by the State parties to the Convention. However, through the diplomatic channels, the Republic of Panama, as the main flag state and considering the impact of this convention, has requested to the Member States, which have already ratified the convention, to accept the above mentioned Certificate of Compliance which meets the same legal and technical requirements as the Convention Certificate.
August, 2008
Inquiries concerning the subject of this Circular or any request should be directed to: Directorate General of Merchant Marine
Panama Maritime Authority Phone: (507) 501-5348 /5350 Fax: (507) 501-5363/5364
ENABLED B/.4.00 Legal Base: Article
956 Fiscal Code Panama, ________________________________
PANAMA MARITIME AUTHORITY
GENERAL DIRECTORATE OF MERCHANT MARINE
REQUEST FOR STATEMENT OF COMPLIANCE OF INSURANCE OR OTHER FINANCIAL GUARANTEE REGARDING CIVIL LIABILITY FOR BUNKER OIL POLLUTION DAMAGE
Mr.
General Director of Merchant Marine
General Director
I/we _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In order to comply with the International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage, I (we) respectfully request you to issue for the vessel ________________________________________, the Certificate of Insurance or Other Financial Guarantee Regarding Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage, demanded in Article VII of the Convention.
Please find data information request for the issuance of said Certificate, according to the requirements of the aforementioned Convention.
1) Name of the Vessel: ______________________________________________________________________________________________________
2) Call Letters: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3) Name of Owner: _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
3-a) Address: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
4) Type of Warranty: ________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
5) Term of the Guarantee: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
6) Name and Address of the Insurer(s) and/or Guarantors (s)::
6-a) Name: __________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
6-b) Address: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
To support field 5, 6-a and 6-b, we submit ________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Issued by: ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dated on __________________________________________________________ until ________________________________________________________ day month year day month year
No. 0000 _____________________________________
Contact List of Member States which have already ratified the
International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution
Damage of 2001 (Bunkers Convention).
Bahamas
The Bahamas Maritime Authority
120 Old Broad Street London EC2N 1AR United Kingdom
Telephone: +44 (0)20 7977 471220 (24hrs) Fax: +44 (0)20 7614 1300
Email: [email protected]
Bulgaria
Bulgarian Maritime Administration 3 Alexander Batemberg
P.O.B. 279 Bourgas
Telephone: 359 56 844339 Fax: 359 56 840064 Email: dic [email protected]
Croatia
Ministry of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure
Safety of Navigation, Maritime Environment and Inland Waters Protection Directorate Telephone: +385 1 6169 138, +385 1 6169 250
Fax: +385 1 6169 069
Email: [email protected]
Cyprus
Aeolou 13 Nicosia 1416
Telephone: George G. Georgiou, Director + 357 22 807867, + 357 22 807864 mob. + 357 99 435171
Loizos Loizides + 357 22 807807, mob. + 357 99 427828 Fax: + 357 22 775955
Estonia
Estonian Maritime Administration Valge 4
11413 Tallinn
Telephone: 372 6205 500 Fax: 372 6205 506 Email: [email protected]
Germany
See-Berufsgenossenschaft Reimerstwlete 2
20457 Hamburg
Telephone: +4940 36137215 Fax: 49 40 3613 7204
Email: [email protected]
Greece
Hellenic Mercantile Marine Ministry Safety of Navigation Directorate 150 Gr. Lambraki Av.
Piraeus 185 36
Telephone: 30 210 4185250/ 4593224 Fax: 30 210 4185250
Telex: 0212210
Hungary
Superintendence for Shipping supervised by the Ministry of Transport, Communication and Waterways General Inspection for Transport
1389 Budapest 62 P.O. Box 102
Telephone: 36 1 111 7676 (main sb)/111 2261 (direct) Fax: 1111412
Jamaica
Maritime Authority of Jamaica Seventh Floor
Dyoll Building
40 Knutsford Boulevard, Kingston 5
Telephone: 1 876 9069967(D) 1 876 9292201 / 7547260 Fax: 1 876 7547256
Latvia
Latvian Maritime Authority Inspectorate Office
Trijadibas iela 5
LV- 1048, Riga , Latvia Telephone: 371 7062166 Fax: 371 7860083
Email: [email protected]
Lithuania
Lithuanian Maritime Safety Administration J.Janonio str. 24 LT-92251 Klaipedia
Telephone: +370 46 499 670 (alert) +370 46 499 669 Fax: +370 46 499 677
Email: [email protected]
Telex: (539) 278486 SAR LT
Luxembourg
Commissariat aux Affaires Maritimes 26, Place de la Gare L-2636
Telephone: 352 4784453 Fax: 352 465753
Telex: 60720 CAM LU
Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands Maritime and Corporate Administrators, Inc. c/o International Registries (UK) Ltd.
11495 Commerce Park Drive Reston Virginia, 20191-1507
United States
Telephone: 1 703 620 4880 Fax: 1 703 860 2284
Email: [email protected]
Norway
Ministry of Trade and Industry Division of Shipping Policy P.O. Box 8014 Dep. N-0032 Oslo 1 Telephone: +47 22 240 471
Fax: +47 22 240 405
Poland
Gdynia Harbour Master Office Polska Str.2
81-330 Gdynia Poland
Telephone: +48 58 621 6636 Fax: +48 58 620 0591 Email: [email protected]
Samoa
Secretary for Transport
Ministry of Transport P.O. Box 1607Apia Samoa Telephone: 685 23700/2 685 25421/2
Fax: 685 21990
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone Maritime Administration P.O. Box 313
Maritime House
Govt. Wharf Ferry Terminal, Freetown Telephone: 232 22 221211
Fax: 232 22 221215
Singapore
Shipping Division Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore 21-00 PSA Building 460 Alexandra Road 119963
Singapore Singapore Telephone: 65 6375 1600 Fax: 65 6375 6231
Email: [email protected]
Slovenia
Ministry of Transport and Communications Maritime Inspection Division
Lungusova 4 1535 Ljubijana Slovenia
Telephone: 386 1 4788500 Fax: 386 1 4788230
Webpage: www.gov.si/mpz
Spain
Dirección General de Marina Mercante Calle Ruiz de Alarcón 1
28071 Madrid
Telephone: 34 91 597 9247 Fax: 34 91 597 9003
Tonga
Ministry of Marine and Ports P.O Box 397
Nuku'alofa
Telephone: 676 22 555/ 26 233 Fax: 676 26 234
Email: [email protected]
United Kingdom
Maritime and Coastguard Agency Spring Place
105 Commercial Road Southampton S015 1EG Telephone: 44 2380 329 215 Fax: 44 2380 329 104
Webpage: www.mcagency.org.uk Email: [email protected]
