AMENDMENT CYCLE

(Refer to MSC.1/Circ.1481)

START ENTRY INTO ENTRY INTO ENTRY INTO

POINT FORCE FORCE FORCE

Amendments adopted on or after 1 January 2016 and before Amendments adopted on or after 1 July 2018 and before 1 July Amendments adopted on or after 1 July 2022 and before 1 July
1 July 2018 should enter into force no earlier than 1 January 2020* 2022 should enter into force no earlier than 1 January 2024* 2026 should enter into force no earlier than 1 January 2028*

01/01/16 01/07/18 01/01/20 01/07/22 01/01/24 01/07/26 01/01/28

* Unless adopted under conditions of exceptional circumstance, as described in paragraph 4.1 of MSC.1/Circ.1481.

CHECK/MONITORING SHEET FOR THE PROCESSING OF AMENDMENTS TO THE CONVENTION

AND RELATED MANDATORY INSTRUMENTS (PROPOSAL/DEVELOPMENT)
(Refer to MSC.1/Circ.1500)
Part I – Submitter of proposal (refer to section 3.2.1.1)*
1 Submitted by (Document Number and submitter)
2 Meeting session
3 Date (of the submission)

Part II – Details of proposed amendment(s) or new mandatory instrument (refer to sections 3.2.1.1 and 3.2.1.2)*
1 High-level action plan number
2 Planned output number
3  ecommended type of amendment (MSC.1/Circ.1481) (delete as appropriate)
R
• Four-year cycle of entry into force
• Exceptional circumstance
4 Instruments intended for amendment (SOLAS, LSC Code, etc.) or to be developed
(new code, new version of code, etc.)
5 Intended application (scope, size, type, tonnage/length restriction, service
(international/non-international), activity, etc.)
6 Application to new/existing ships
7 Proposed coordinating sub-committee
8 Anticipated supporting sub-committees
9 Time scale for completion
10 Expected date(s) for entry into force and implementation/application
11 Any relevant decision taken or instruction given by the Committee

Part III – Process monitoring to be completed during the work process at the sub-committee and checked as part
of the final approval process by the Committee (Refer to section 3.2.1.3)**
1 T he sub-committee, at an initial agreement, has allocated sufficient time for technical research and discussion before the target completion date,
especially on issues needing to be addressed by more than one sub-committee and for which the timing of relevant sub-committee meetings and
exchanges of the results of consideration needed to be carefully examined.
2 The scope of application agreed at the proposal stage was not changed without the approval of the Committee.
3 T he technical base document/draft amendment addresses the proposal’s issue(s) through the suggested instrument(s); where it does not, the
sub-committee offers the Committee an alternative method of addressing the problem raised by the proposal.
4 Due attention has been paid to the Interim Guidelines for the Application of the Grandfather Clauses (MSC/Circ.765-MEPC/Circ.315).
5 All references have been examined against the text that will be valid if the proposed amendment enters into force.
6 T he location of the insertion or modified text is correct for the text that will be valid when the proposed text enters into force on a four-year cycle of
entry into force, as other relevant amendments adopted might enter into force on the same date.
7 T here are no inconsistencies in respect of scope of application between the technical regulation and the application statement contained in regulation
1 or 2 of the relevant chapter, and application is specifically addressed for existing and/or new ships, as necessary.
8  here a new term has been introduced into a regulation and a clear definition is necessary, the definition is given in the article of the Convention or at
W
the beginning of the chapter.
9 Where any of the terms “fitted”, “provided”, “installed” or “installation” are used, consideration has been given to clarifying the intended meaning of the term.
10 A ll necessary related and consequential amendments to other existing instruments, including non-mandatory instruments, in particular to the forms of
certificates and records of equipment required in the instrument being amended, have been examined and included as part of the amendment(s).
11 The forms of certificates and records of equipment have been harmonized, where appropriate, between the Convention and its Protocols.
12 It is confirmed that the amendment is being made to a currently valid text and that no other bodies are concurrently making change proposals to the same text.
13 Ensure that all entry-into-force criteria (contract, keel laying and delivery) have been considered and addressed.
14 Other impacts of the implementation of the proposed/approved amendment have been fully analysed.
15 The amendments presented for adoption clearly indicate changes made with respect to the original text, so as to facilitate their consideration.
16 For amendments to mandatory instruments, the relationship between the Convention and the related instrument has been observed and addressed, as appropriate.
17 The related record format has been completed or updated, as appropriate.
* Parts I and II should be completed by the submitter of a proposed new amendment, to the fullest extent possible.
** Part III should be completed by the drafting/working group that prepared the draft text.

RECORD FORMAT
The following records should be created for each regulatory development and kept 6 Technical background
updated in GISIS. Scope and objective (to cross check with items 4 and 5 in part II
6.1 
of the checklist)
1 Title (number and title of regulation(s)) Technical/operational background and rationale (summary of
6.2 
2 Origin of the requirement (original proposal document) FSA study, etc. if available, or engineering challenge posed, etc.)
3 Main reason for the development (extract from the proposal document) Source/derivation of requirement (non-mandatory instrument,
6.3 
4  History of the discussion (approval of work programmes, sessions of industry standard, national/regional requirement)
sub-committees, including CG/DG/WG arrangements) Short summary of requirement (what is the new requirement
6.4 
5 Impact on other instruments (e.g. codes, performance standards, – in short and lay terms)
guidance circulars, certificates/records format, etc.) 6.5 Points of discussion (controversial points and conclusion)
 AMENDMENT PROCESS
(The process described below summarizes the most common actions for the consideration and development of amendments to the 1974 SOLAS Convention and related mandatory instruments
based on MSC.1/Circ.1500. Although the approval of draft amendments is not a mandatory requirement under the amendment procedure specified in Article VIII of the 1974 SOLAS Convention,
it has become the practice of the Committee to submit draft amendments for approval prior to their adoption.)

MSC SECRETARIAT SUB-COMMITTEE

Considers a proposal and, if accepted, agrees on

the following (as it is applicable):
• Intended scope of application of the proposed
amendments or new requirements, including
ship type’s application and application to
INITIAL PROPOSAL

existing ships;
• Instruments to be amended;
• Target completion date at sub-committee
level; and
• Expected entry-into-force date(s) and
implementation/application date(s), taking
into account MSC.1/Circ.1481 (four-year
cycle).

Instructs the relevant sub-committee(s)

Prepares the draft amendments ensuring that:

• All issues listed in the check/monitoring sheet
are properly addressed;
• The check/monitoring sheet is completed and
presented along with the draft amendments
DEVELOPMENT

submitted for approval; and

• The record format provided in the module
“Development of amendments to the 1974
SOLAS Convention and related mandatory
instruments” of GISIS is completed/updated.

Ensures that the draft amendments submitted

for approval are presented in track changes, as
Submits the draft amendments for approval
appropriate, along with the corresponding
check/monitoring sheet and the record format.

• Reviews the draft amendments submitted

for approval, using the associated check/
monitoring sheet and taking into account the
information contained in the related record
format;
APPROVAL

• If necessary, instructs a drafting group to

Ensures that the draft amendments contained
review the draft amendments or consider any
in the annexes of the Committee’s report after
further issues before approval; and
approval are presented in track changes, as
• Agrees on the session of the Committee at appropriate.
which the amendments should be adopted,
as well as on the acceptance and entry-
into-force date, taking into account
MSC.1/Circ.1481 (four-year cycle).

• Prepares and makes available in IMODOCS,

• Prepares documents containing the clean text
Uses the WP as the base document for
preliminary consideration by the expanded
Committee and final revision by a drafting
ADOPTION
as soon as possible after the corresponding
deadline for commenting documents, a WP
consolidating all draft amendments submitted
for adoption with track changes, including
proposals for modifications or editorial
improvements, if any, as well as notes and
comments, as appropriate;
of the approved draft amendments (without
track changes), together with the draft
resolution(s), for submission to the session
of the Committee that will consider the
amendments for adoption; and

group, taking into account the associated check/
monitoring sheet and the record format.
• Prepares the clean text of the draft
amendments for circulation to all Members of
the Organization and all SOLAS Contracting
Governments, in accordance with the
provisions of Article VIII of the Convention.

Adopts the amendments

• Ensures that, after adoption, the final text of

the amendments contained in the annexes
of the Committee’s report (i.e. the MSC
resolutions) is presented without track
changes;
• Prepares authentic texts of the adopted
amendments; and
• Keeps the related record format updated in
respect to relevant decisions taken.