On the 12th of January, the DGRM and the Technical Group (GT) held a working meeting with all the Recognized Organizations (ROs) authorized to operate in Portugal.

The purpose of the meeting was to present the new elements involved, share information on the balance of the year 2022 in terms of the evolution of the Portuguese Flag and transmit the WG's objectives for the year 2023, referring to the main works in progress. .

It should be recalled that the ROs are entities recognized by the European Commission (COM) to, on behalf of the Member States, carry out functions of inspection and inspection of ships established in the international conventions relating to maritime safety and the prevention of pollution by ships, as well as such as the issuance of the respective statutory certificates. After this recognition by COM, European Flag States can sign protocols with these ROs, in order to delegate statutory tasks within the scope of these conventions. This operating model is regulated in Council Directives 94/57/EC, of ??November 22, 1994, and 2009/15/EC, of ??April 23, 2009, transposed into national law through Decree-Law no. 115/96 and No. 13/2012. This operating model is regularly audited by COM and IMO.

Portugal has a protocol signed with eight ROs:

• ABS – American Bureau of Shipping
• BV – Bureau Veritas
• CCS – China Classification Society
• ClassNK – Nippon Kaiji Kyokai
• DNV – Det Norske Veritas
• LR – Lloyd’s Register of Shipping
• RINA – Registro Italiano Navale
• KR - Korean Register of Shipping

Only these ROs are authorized by the Portuguese State to carry out the acts foreseen in Decree-Law n.º 13/2012, of January 20th.

DGRM is grateful for the professional and collaborative way in which the meeting took place and strives for a year 2023 full of joint successes.