RMI CSCC Meeting Held in Hamburg

The Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) Classification Society Consultative Committee (CSCC) held its annual meeting on 10 December 2025 at DNV’s office in Hamburg, Germany. This year’s CSCC brought together senior technical leaders, Registry representatives, and representatives from the International Association of Classification Societies (IACS) to review regulatory developments, operational challenges, and technical initiatives impacting the RMI fleet.

David Wamsley, Senior Vice President, Technical (Reston), welcomed participants to the annual meeting before Simon Bonnett, Chief Maritime Officer (London) provided an update on the Registry. The update set the stage for discussions on key areas including statutory renewal survey extensions and the revision of Technical Circular 13; International Ballast Water Management Certificate (IBWMC) short-term issuance; changes regarding lifting appliances; emergency escape trunk considerations; drydock completion and certification; remote surveys and potential port State control risks; and authorized service providers. Other presenters included Richard Dias, Regional Technical Manager (Hong Kong), Hung Diep, Regional Technical Manager (Long Beach), Vasilis Kamitsis, Regional Technical Manager (Piraeus), and Elizabeth Caswell, Senior Technical Operations Manager (Houston).

The afternoon session focused on operational and certification matters with Brian Poskaitis, Senior Vice President, Fleet Operations (Baltimore/Annapolis) and Joe McKeown, Senior Vice President, Management Systems Certification (Ft. Lauderdale). Cosmin Bozenovici, Vice President, Global Offshore (Houston) provided an overview of the International Code of Safety for Ships Carrying Industrial Personnel (IP Code) and International Code of Safety for Special Purposes Ships (SPS Code), and Marc Verburg, Director, Yacht Operations (Roosendaal) provided a yacht technical update.

During the meeting, Dave announced that IACS member Türk Loydu has been recognized by the RMI Maritime Administrator for the provision of statutory survey and certification services as of 1 December 2025. He thanked Türk Loydu for their transparency and full cooperation during the rigorous recognition process.

“The addition of Türk Loydu as a recognized organization expands certification and survey resources for RMI vessels, especially those calling at Eastern Mediterranean and Black Sea ports,” said Vasilis, who oversees technical capabilities in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The meeting concluded with open dialogue and review of action items, underscoring the focus on proactively working together to continually enhance cooperation and technical standards.

The CSCC is a collaborative platform between the RMI Registry and IACS members to proactively address the evolving regulatory framework and its application to vessels. Meeting together supports flag and Class alignment on technical standards, statutory compliance, and emerging industry issues. The meeting changes location annually to maximize participation. Last year’s meeting was held in Athens.