The Ministry of Development is working on updating shipping rules in Ukraine: details

The Ministry of Development presented in more detail the draft law No. 14344, which provides for amendments to the legislation in the field of merchant shipping and inland waterways navigation.

The ministry notes, that the full-scale war has significantly changed the conditions for the functioning of the maritime industry. Mine danger, attacks on ships and port infrastructure, as well as threats to crews, the economy and the environment require a review of approaches to shipping safety as a component of national security.

“The current legislation, formed in other conditions, does not provide an effective management system and does not take into account a significant part of international standards and EU norms,” the department notes.

Draft law No. 14344 proposes a comprehensive update of the system. In particular, a clear delimitation of the powers of the bodies is provided, the Ministry of Development is assigned the function of coordinator of state policy in the field of shipping, the definition of the Shipping Administration as a state supervisory body, as well as clarification of the role of seaport captains and the functions of the Ukrainian Sea Port Authority.

The document also forms a unified system for ensuring the safety of navigation – from seaports and the territorial sea to inland waterways. This concerns the implementation of modern approaches to vessel traffic management, accident prevention, emergency response, search and rescue of people at sea, as well as the provision of port services in accordance with European standards.

A separate block of changes concerns increasing the responsibility of shipowners for the safety of crews and environmental protection. International mechanisms are being introduced for pollution prevention, emission control, ship waste management, and liability insurance for environmental damage.

In addition, the bill provides for the deregulation and digitalization of the industry: the abolition of excessive licensing requirements, the elimination of duplication of procedures, the introduction of electronic registers and systems, as well as the creation of a maritime “single window” in ports.

As noted by Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories Andriy Kashuba, the document should create a basis for the safe operation of ports in wartime, provide tools for rapid response to challenges, and prepare the industry for post-war recovery.

You can read more about the department’s proposals at the link.

Earlier, the Ministry of Development noted that companies from the TOP-20 world port operators were interested in a concession in Chornomorsk.