This is a summary report of the decisions and discussions taken at the fifty-forth session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 54) held on 20 - 24 March 2006.

1. Adoption of Mandatory Instruments
(1) Relating amendments to the revised MARPOL 73/78 Annex I (refer to Attachment 1)
The following amendments to the revised MARPOL 73/78 Annex I adopted at this session and will enter into force on 1 August 2007.
(i) Protection of oil fuel tanks (Regulation 12A)
The amendment to revised MARPOL Annex I to add new regulation (12A) concerning oil fuel tank protection and the consequential amendments to the IOPP Certificate Supplement (Form A and B) were adopted. This regulation will apply to all ships with an aggregate oil fuel capacity of 600 m3 and above which the building contract is placed on or after 1 August 2007, or in the absence of a building contract, the keels of which are laid or which are at a similar stage of construction on or after 1 February 2008, or the delivery of which is on or after 1 August 2010. This regulation is prescribed arrangements of oil fuel tank in order to prevent the outflow of oil fuel from ships when the ship sustains the casualty.
(ii) Definition of heavy grade oils (Regulation 21)
The amendment to the regulation 21.2.2 of the revised MARPOL Annex I, (regulation 13H(2)(b) of the current Annex I), that specify "heavy grade oil (HGO)" was adopted. Although the current definition is limited the "fuel oils" having either a density at 15oC higher than 900 kg/m3 or a kinematic viscosity at 50 oC higher than 180 mm2/s, the amendment to this regulation include such as "oil" other than crude oils since "oils" having such as characteristics exist, other than fuel oils.
For the regulation 13H(2)(b) of the current Annex I, the Unified Interpretation same as above amendment to regulation 21.2.2 of the revised MARPOL Annex I have been approved at MEPC53. This Unified Interpretation also applies the amendment to the regulation 21.2.2 of the revised MARPOL Annex I to cover the period between 1 January 2007 and the entry into force date of the above amendment.

(2) Amendments to MARPOL 73/78 Annex IV (refer to Attachment 2)
The amendment to the MARPOL 73/78 Annex IV to introduce new regulation 13 concerning "Port State control (PSC) on operational requirements" was adopted and will enter into force on 1 August 2007.
(To be continued)