HELCOM RECOMMENDATION 6/12 

Adopted 13 March 1985 having regard to Article 13, Paragraph b) of the Helsinki Convention

RECOMMENDATION CONCERNING THE APPLICATION OF IMO'S INTERNATIONAL BULK CHEMICAL CODE (IBC CODE) AND IMO'S BULK CHEMICAL CODE (IMO ASSEMBLY RESOLUTION A.212(VII) INCLUDING TEN SETS OF AMENDMENTS) (BCH CODE) 

THE COMMISSION,

NOTING that Regulation 5 of Annex IV of the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area, 1974, (Helsinki Convention), concerning Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk will enter into force on 1 January 1986,

NOTING FURTHER that IMO's International Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk (IBC Code) will enter into force on 1 July 1986,

RECALLING the existing IMO Code for the Construction and Equipment of Ships Carrying Dangerous Chemicals in Bulk (BCH Code),

RECOGNIZING that the application in the Baltic Sea Area of the relevant IMO Codes for chemical tankers flying the flags of the Contracting Parties as well as for chemical tankers flying other flags will further the aim of the Convention,

RECOMMENDS that Governments of the Contracting Parties to the Helsinki Convention apply IMO's IBC Code and BCH Code to own chemical tankers and to foreign chemical tankers within their jurisdiction as follows:

a)         Chemical tankers constructed on or after 1 July 1986 shall comply with the requirements of the International Bulk Chemical Code;

b)         Chemical tankers constructed before 1 July 1986 shall comply with the following requirements:

    (i)         The following chemical tankers shall comply with the requirements of the Bulk Chemical Code as applicable to ships referred to in 1.7.2 of that Code:

(1)        ships for which the building contract is placed on or after 2 November 1973 and which are engaged on voyages to ports or off-shore terminals under the jurisdiction of other States; and

(2)        ships constructed on or after 1 July 1983 which are engaged solely on voyages between ports or off-shore terminals within the State the flag of which the ship is entitled to fly;

    (ii)        The following chemical tankers shall comply with the requirements of the Bulk Chemical Code as applicable to ships referred to in 1.7.3 of that Code:

(1)        ships for which the building contract is placed before 2 November 1973 and which are engaged on voyages to ports or off-shore terminals within the jurisdiction of other States; and

(2)        ships constructed before I July 1983 which are engaged on voyages between ports or off-shore terminals within the State the flag of which the ship is entitled to fly, except that for ships of less than 1,600 gross tonnage compliance with the Code in respect of construction and equipment may take effect not later than 1 July 1994.