Consultation on the merchant shipping (carriage of dangerous goods and harmful substances) regulations 2024

The purpose of this new SI is to revoke the current Merchant Shipping (Dangerous Goods and Marine Pollutants) Regulations 1997 (“the 1997 Regulations”) along with a number of other dangerous goods related regulations and replace them with revised regulations which have been developed to provide a more complete, consolidated and up to date legal framework for the carriage of dangerous goods and harmful substances by sea.

The proposed new Merchant Shipping (Carriage of Dangerous Goods and Harmful Substances) Regulations 2024 (“the 2024 Regulations”) are set out in a more succinct format than the existing 1997 Regulations. They point directly to the relevant Convention requirements of Chapter VII of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1974 (“SOLAS”) and Protocol I and Annex III of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 (“MARPOL”).

Your views are sought on any aspect of the proposed 2024 Regulations and accompanying Marine Guidance Notes (MGNs), and a more in-depth explanation of the areas for consideration can be found in Section 2 of this document. In particular, your views are sought on the associated costs, impacts and any potential gaps or unintended consequences.

A full list of consultation questions is contained in Section 5 of this consultation.

Responses are welcomed from 8 December 2023 until 19 January 2024 (extended to 26 January 2024).