MARPOL Consolidated Edition 2011

The International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 (MARPOL Convention), is concerned with preserving the marine environment through the prevention of pollution by oil and other harmful substances and the minimization of accidental discharge of such substances. Its technical content is laid out in six Annexes, the first five of which were adopted by the 1973 Convention, as modified by a 1978 Protocol. These cover pollution of the sea by oil, by noxious liquid substances in bulk, by harmful substances in packaged form, by sewage from ships and by garbage from ships. Annex VI was adopted by a further Protocol in 1997 and covers air pollution from ships.

The 2011 consolidated edition aims to provide an easy and comprehensive reference to the up-to-date provisions and unified interpretations of the articles, protocols and Annexes of the MARPOL Convention, including the incorporation of all of the amendments that have been adopted by the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC) and entered into force, up to and including the 2010 amendments as adopted by resolutions MEPC.190(60) and MEPC.194(61).

The Additional Information section of the consolidated edition includes amendments to the revised Annex III adopted on 1 October 2010 by resolution MEPC.193(61) and entering into force on 1 January 2014, if accepted, as well as prospective amendments to Annexes IV, V and VI adopted on 15 July 2011 by resolutions MEPC.200(62), MEPC.201(62), MEPC.202(62) and MEPC.203(62) which, if accepted, enter into force on 1 January 2013.

Also included in Additional Information, for ease of reference, are the consolidated texts of both Annex IV, including amendments adopted by resolution MEPC.200(62) on Special Area provisions, and Annex VI, including amendments adopted by resolution MEPC.203(62) on energy efficiency for ships.