This month the International Maritime Organization (IMO), at the 94th session of its Maritime Safety Committee (MSC), adopted the mandatory International Code for Ships Operating in Polar Waters (Polar Code), and related amendments to the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) in order to make it mandatory.
The expected date of entry into force of the SOLAS amendments is 1 January 2017, under the tacit acceptance procedure. It will apply to new ships constructed after that date.
Ships constructed before 1 January 2017 will be required to meet the relevant requirements of the Polar Code by the first intermediate or renewal survey, whichever occurs first, after 1 January 2018.
Because the new Polar Code contains both safety and environmental provisions, it will be mandatory under SOLAS and MARPOL (Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships).
Detailed information about legacy and the content of new mandatory Polar Code are available on IMO´s website.