France And DNV GL Top Latest Paris MOU Performance Tables

France has retained its position as the best flag, according to the latest performance tables issued by  European port state inspection bodies.

The Paris Memorandum of Understanding is an agreement among a range of port state control authorities in mostly European countries. It issues an annual performance list of registers based on inspection results of vessels calling at Paris MOU ports.

They are collated over a rolling three-year period and based on the number of inspections, deficiencies and detentions found on vessels flying those flags.

Flag performance is listed as white, grey and black lists.

For this latest performance list there are three fewer flags making the top grade, with 43 making the white list this year and 46 making the list a year ago. There are 19 flags on the grey list and 10 on the black list.

A flag authority makes the list when Paris MOU members collectively make more than 30 inspections of vessels under that flag during the three-year inspection period.

Inspection of the results reveal some positive, as well as some alarming performance trends.

Apart from the Paris MOU finding fewer flags made the grade of the white list, Germany has slipped from second place when the white list was published in 2013 to 9th and now 15th place in the list just released. Bahamas has risen from 11th place last year to third place in this year’s list.

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