This is a summary report of the decisions and discussions taken at the fifty-fifth session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 55) held on 9 - 13 October 2006.

1. Adoption of Mandatory Instruments
The following amendments to the Mandatory Instruments were adopted at this session.
(1) Amendments to the revised MARPOL 73/78 Annex I (refer to Attachment 1)
The amendments to the regulation 1.11 (Special Area) of the revised MARPOL 73/78 Annex I to add new paragraph (10) concerning the designation of the Southern South African Waters as a Special Area were adopted at this session and will enter into force on 1 March 2008.

(2) Amendments to MARPOL 73/78 Annex III (refer to Attachment 2)
The amendments to the MARPOL 73/78 Annex III to introduce new criteria based on the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS), as amended, were adopted and will enter into force on 1 January 2010 to coincide with that of the IMDG Code Amendment 34-08.

(3) Amendments to the Condition Assessment Scheme(CAS)(refer to Attachment 3)
The following amendments to the CAS were adopted and will enter into force on 1 March 2008.
(i) Requirement on thickness measurement
This Amendment is that the attending surveyor may refer to the non-mandatory resolution "Guideline on the assessment of residual fillet weld between deck plating and longitudinals, MEPC.147(54)" in conjunction with thickness measurement procedures.
(ii) Clarification of procedures for the case of changing of flag during the course of a CAS survey
These amendments clarified procedures for the case where there was a change of flag, ownership or Recognized Organization affecting an oil tanker holding a valid CAS Statement of Compliance and that change of flag during the course of a CAS survey.

(To be continued)