The Paris MoU will revise its method for calculating Recognized Organization performance, aligning it more closely with flag-state performance assessments. The new methodology will enter into force on 6 July 2027 alongside amendments to the EU Port State Control Directive.The synchronized implementation with the amended EU PSC Directive suggests a broader redesign of how responsibility and risk are attributed between:
- the ship;
- the flag;
- the recognized organization;
- the company;
- the port-state inspection regime.
Owners should understand whether the revised calculation may affect targeting, due-diligence reviews or commercial perceptions of the class/RO relationship.
The Port State Control Directive (Directive 2009/16/EC) enforces international and EU safety, environmental, and crew-welfare standards. It ensures foreign ships in EU and Paris MoU ports are inspected, and substandard vessels are banned. The legislation is constantly evolving; recently, the EU updated the regime to align with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and expanded provisions to include voluntary inspections for larger fishing vessels. The directive operates using the THETIS database—managed by the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA)—which tracks ship profiles and inspection records
Decisions made to revise the approach to RO performance include:
Revised calculation methodology
Under the new methodology, an RO’s average detention rate over a given period (typically three years) will be assessed against the overall average detention rate. Their categorisation will be determined as follows:
- High Performance: the detention rate is better than the overall average.
- Medium Performance: the detention rate is equal to or worse than the overall average.
- Low Performance: the detention rate is at least twice the overall detention average.
ROs will be listed alphabetically per list. No longer ranked within categories. This is to underscore that the performance list’s sole purpose is to feed into the Ship Risk Profile for targeting ships.
From RO responsibility to RO relation
Instead of manually assigning ‘RO responsibility’ by a PSCO for each detainable deficiency the new methodology will connect a detainable deficiency to the RO that issued or endorsed the relevant statutory certificate.
The process will change: PSCOs will, under the new methodology, select the statutory certificate to which the detainable deficiency pertains, guided by the Information System.
Multiple detainable deficiencies from a single detention related to the same RO will be counted as one detention.
Procedural steps and transitional period
In order to be able to implement the new approach on 6 July 2027, the linking of detainable deficiencies to statutory certificates issued or endorsed by ROs will commence on 1 January 2026. The new methodology will then be implemented on 6 July 2027, using one calendar year (2026) of data, increasing to two calendar years of data (2026 and 2027) on 1 July 2028, and finally incorporating three full calendar years of data from 1 July 2029.
Limited number of inspections
All ROs will be included in the performance list, regardless of their inspection volume, to ensure their categorisation can be utilized in the Paris MoU Ship Risk Profile. For ROs with a limited number of inspections, their performance will be calculated using distinct criteria ensuring that a single detention will not immediately place them on the low perfomance list.
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