Wiernicki (ABS) aims the index against the classification societies that take care of naval planning



The society of American classification ABS (American Bureau of Shipping) has denounced the important conflict of interest regarding the role of independent suppliers of services of certification and attestation of safety own of the societies of the field that is placed in existence by some societies of classification that they take care of naval planning.

Taking part to the Mare Forum conference on the topic "Maritime transportation of energy", held yesterday for Houston, the president and managing director of ABS, Christopher J. Wiernicki, it has aimed the finger in particular against the internal created projects of energetic optimization from some societies of classification, that it has defined "extremely worrisome". Wiernicki has explained that mine the essence of the basic principle of the classification and has been declared surprised not to have felt other voices that they question the always greater intrusion of the societies of classification in an area that it has defined of quicksand for ethics.

"The point - it has said the president and CEO of ABS - is that, from the moment that the objectives of the planner and the society of classification are fundamentalally so various, it is dangerous that the classification societies have proposed same they as planners. So the woven base of the field is undermined, the credibility of the classification is destroyed as third independent part and is the possibility that it is arrived to poor projects that could have an impact on the credibility of the entire field and upset the essential controls and the balances between the commercial pressures and an effective management of safety and the environmental risks".

"When the classification societies begin to develop and to promote own projects - it has continued Wiernicki - the essential independence of the classification is compromised. If ABS had to promote an own planning of tankers to low energetic consumption, as we could maintain our integrity when we had to be those who approve of the same constructive project".

Wiernicki has found that, with the Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI) adopted in the past few months from the International Maritime Organization for the construction of new ships, an innovative road for the naval planning is entered, but has emphasized that such change must not have as undesired consequence to afford to the classification societies to become planners of ships in the attempt to increase their market share.

If who plans the ships are the same one that the reputation of independent organisms of classification regarding insurance agency classifies them - it has evidenced -, banks, States of flag and landing place would come fatally compromised. "the EEDI - it has observed Wiernicki - will constitute the reference for the planning of the future. However the current focalization on a planning based on energy efficiency and the perspective of difficult conditions of market it is pushing the classification societies to move in the area of the planning in order to obtain a commercial advantage or in order protect the their current position".

Restating that the classification societies must choose if to be exactly classification society or planners, not being able to be both the things, Wiernicki have concluded evidencing the necessity to go beyond and to establish "that this does not have to be allowed".