Flag Annual Safety Inspection for Vessels Transiting Through Panama with a Destination of the Ports in Paris MoU Area

Notice to: Ship Owners/ Managers/ Operators | Surveyors/Auditors | Service Suppliers

C22041 | 07 November 2022

The Panama Maritime Authority issued a notice MMN-13/2022, where it informs about Flag Annual Safety Inspection for Vessels Transiting Through Panama with a Destination of the Ports in Paris MoU Area.

The Paris MoU Inspection and Selection Scheme are based on a ship’s Risk Profile, the Inspection and Selection Scheme determines the scope, frequency, and priority of inspections. Periodic Inspections are carried out at intervals determined by the ship risk profile.

Panama currently belongs to the Paris MoU white List; however, we have detected an increase in detentions in the Paris MoU.

For the aforementioned and to maintain the Panama in white list status in the Paris MoU, the Panama authority has decided that all Panamanian flag vessels transiting or visiting Panamanian ports prior to their arrival to any port or terminal in Paris MoU area, have to conduct a Flag Annual Safety Inspection (ASI) as soon as they arrive.

The current member States of the Paris MoU are Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and the United Kingdom.

Non-compliance with the provisions of this Panama Marine Notice will be subject to sanction. Refusing for the first time carries a penalty of $10,000.00 USD. The recurrence will be grounds for the cancellation of the Panamanian registry immediately.

Act Now

Ship Owners/ Managers/ Operators/ Legal representatives of Panamanian Flag Vessels are exhorted to review the maintenance management system of the ships in accordance with the requirements of the ISM Code and to prepare their ships for the said inspection as required.