Finland ratifies Convention for the Management of Ballast Water

Ministry of Transport and Communications
Publication date 8.9.2016 13.32
News item
Ships at sea (Photo: LVM)
Ships at sea (Photo: LVM)

Finland has ratified the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments adopted by the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) in 2004. The instrument of accession was deposited with Kitack Lim, IMO Secretary-General, on 8 September.

The Convention will enter into force internationally 12 months after the date on which 30 states with 35 percent of the gross tonnage of the world's merchant shipping have ratified it.

It is estimated that once the Convention has been ratified by Finland, the fulfilment of these criteria is close, and the Convention could enter into force in autumn 2017. The IMO will calculate the tonnage in September, and the results of these calculations will determine the time for the entry into force of the Convention.

When the Convention enters into force, ballast water treatment systems must basically be installed on all ships in international operation. The IMO decided in 2013 that treatment systems shall be installed on ships within five years of the entry into force of the Convention, that would be latest during 2022 in case the Convention enters into force in 2017.