Protective coatings
The Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), at its 82nd session held from 29 November to 8 December 2006, adopted Resolution MSC.215(82)Performance standard for protective coatings of dedicated seawater ballast tanks on all new ships and of double-side skin spaces of bulk carriers, which will be made mandatory by way of amendments to SOLAS regulations II-1/3-2, also adopted at the session.
The SOLAS amendments are expected to enter into force on 1 July 2008 and the performance standard will apply to ships for which the building contract is placed on or after 1 July 2008; or, in the absence of a building contract, the keels of which are laid on or after 1 January 2009, or the delivery of which is on or after 1 July 2012.