IMO Institutional Structure and Law-Making Process - Prevention of Pollution of the Marine Environment from Vessels - page 24

environment because many of its activities are directly or indirectly relevant for the
prevention of pollution from ships. These include aids to navigation, construction
and equipment of vessels, the prevention of collisions, handling of dangerous
cargoes, maritime safety procedures and requirements, hydrographic information,
navigational records, salvage and rescue.

2.3.4 Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC)

MEPC was established as a permanent subsidiary organ of the Assembly in 1973 in
its 80th session. The ninth session of the IMO Assembly in 1975 institutionalised
MEPC as an organ of IMO through an amendment of the IMO Convention. This
amendment came into effect in 1982.
MEPC is at the forefront of IMO

s activities for the prevention of pollution of the
marine environment from ships. The establishment of MEPC as a separate organ of
the organisation has been termed as the formal recognition of marine environmental
protection in the same status of maritime safety. 35 MEPC has the power to consider
any matter concerning the prevention and control of marine pollution from ships
within the scope of IMO. The committee is entrusted with the responsibility of
performing functions conferred upon the organisation under international legal
instruments for the prevention and control of the marine pollution from vessels.
In particular, MEPC is responsible for functions related to the adoption and
amendment of regulations or other provisions stipulated in those legal instruments.
It is also responsible for promoting measures for facilitation of enforcement of
international marine environmental conventions. MEPC also gathers scientific,
technical and any other practical information regarding marine pollution and, if
needed, makes necessary recommendations and guidelines for combating such
pollution. It also promotes cooperation with regional organisations in respect of
marine environmental matters. 36 Presently, virtually all negotiations for the legal
instruments and amendment of existing legal instruments concerning marine envi-
ronment and within the competence of IMO are facilitated through MEPC.
The workload of MEPC is growing enormously. For example, MEPC 66, held
from 31 March to 4 April 2014, had 21 agenda items. Amongst others, these
included harmful aquatic organisms in ballast water; recycling of ships; air pollu-
tion and energy efficiency; reduction of GHG emissions from ships; identification
and protection of Special Areas and Particularly Sensitive Sea Areas; inadequacy of
reception facilities; harmful anti-fouling systems for ships; promotion of imple-
mentation and enforcement of IMO legal instruments; technical co-operation activ-
ities for the protection of the marine environment; and noise from commercial
shipping and its adverse impacts on marine life. 37 To deal with such an enormous

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35 M

Gonigle and Zacher ( 1979 ), p. 48.
36 IMO Convention, art 38.
37 Report of the Marine Environment Protection Committee on Its Sixty-Sixth Session, IMO Doc.
MEPC 66/21 (25 April 2014).

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