This is a summary report of the decisions and discussions taken at the fifty-sixth session of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 56) held on 9 - 13 July 2007.

1. Adoption of Mandatory Instruments
The following amendments to the Mandatory Instruments were adopted at this session. The text of the adopted amendments will be posted on the IMO web-site(http://www.imo.org > Information Resources > Index of IMO Resolutions > MEPC).
(1) Amendments to MARPOL 73/78 Annex I (Resolution MEPC.164(56))
The editorial amendment to regulation 38.2.5 of MARPOL 73/78 Annex I (Reception facilities outside Special Areas) was adopted.

(2) Amendments to MARPOL 73/78 Annex IV (Resolution MEPC.164(56))
The amendment to regulation 11.1.1 of MARPOL 73/78 Annex IV was adopted and will enter into force on 1 December 2008. The amendment makes clear that the effluent generated by animals on board livestock carriers shall be discharged into a sea, not instantaneously, but at a moderate rate, as is currently the requirement for the discharge of untreated sewage from holding tank.

(3) Amendments to the revised IBC Code (Resolution MEPC.166(56))
The amendments to chapter 17, 18 and 19 of the revised IBC Code, as adopted by MSC 82 and approved by MEPC 55, were adopted. While the amendments will enter into force on 1 January 2009, the amendments are actually applied with the revised IBC Code which entered into force on 1 January 2007.

2. The Ballast Water Management Convention
(1) For assistance to implementation of the Convention, the following two Guidelines were adopted.
The Guidelines for risk assessment under regulation A-4 of the BWM Convention (G7)
The Guidelines for additional measures regarding ballast water management including emergency situations (G13)
(To be continued)