INTERTANKO Regional Panels Main Aims

Asian Regional Panel

Hellenic Forum

Latin American Panel

North American Panel

• Providing a forum for the regional members, to facilitate better communication between themselves and with the Association; to promote the sharing of experiences; to enhance their understanding of, and their participation and involvement in, the activities of the Association, including the work of the Association’s other committees
• To promote the objectives, policies and strategies of the Association in the region, with respect to free competition, safety at sea and the protection of the environment
• To promote the activities, priorities and concerns of the regional members and of their tanker communities relative to the overall activites of INTERTANKO’s governing bodies and committees
• To address those tanker issues particular to a region and to its regional members
• To provide a conduit for regional members to provide input to INTERTANKO’s work programme and to examine and review issues that could be submitted to Council
• To act as a resource for the Association, providing feedback, information and advice for the other committees and for the Secretariat
• To promote interaction between the Association and the tanker industry in the region, and to cooperate with industry, governmental and environmental bodies in the region
• To examine and review regional legislative proposals and activities affecting the whole membership
• To screen applications from the region for INTERTANKO membership
• The regional panel chairman may also participate in the INTERTANKO Detention Review Board as appropriate if the member under review is from that region.

Asian Regional Panel

Chairman
Dr JH Lee, SK Shipping
Vice-Chairman: Joseph Kwok, American Eagle Tankers
Vice-Chairman: Katsue Yoshida, Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha
Regional Manager/Secretary: John Fawcett-Ellis

"INTERTANKO promotes continuous improvement in the tanker industry to ensure no fatalities and no pollution"

"INTERTANKO plays a crucial role for the tanker industry and deserves support and recognition for its work. It seeks. balanced regulations that do not compromise quality, safety or the environment. Furthermore, its extensive lobbying efforts are matched by a range of valuable services to members. Within Asia a key forum for tanker operators to meet is INTERTANKO’s Asian Regional Panel. I invite all tanker operators in Asia to participate in this forum."
Dr JH Lee, ARP Chairman

INTERTANKO shows strong commitment to its members in Asia.

Singapore’s thriving port and rapidly expanding maritime hub attract tanker operators and a range of ancillary businesses. From its Singapore base, INTERTANKO reaches out across Asia, ensuring a good dialogue with members and promotion of the Association, as well as maintaining good links with shipowners’ associations, maritime authorities and governmental agencies. Regular meetings with members are organised, as well as the annual Vetting Seminar, which this year saw a record attendance.

The Association’s membership in Asia continues to grow - overall some 40% of the Association’s members are based in Asia.

China was a point of focus for INTERTANKO as well as for the shipping industry in general. INTERTANKO meetings/seminars took place in Beijing, Dalian, Shanghai and Quinhuangdao. The association’s Chairman, Stephen Van Dyck, and Managing Director, Peter Swift, visited Asia three times during the year. In Beijing a Tripartite meeting was held with representatives from Asian shipyards, the International Association of Classification Societies together with representatives from international shipowner associations. In Shanghai a joint seminar was held with the International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation and the Oil Companies International Marine Forum.

In April at the 2005 Annual Meeting a fitting honour was bestowed on the late KH Koo who founded the Association’s Asian Regional Panel, when he was posthumously made an Honorary Member of INTERTANKO.

The Regional Manager also visited Seoul, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta during the year. The Association was invited by the Malaysian Shipowners’ Association to make a speech to mark World Maritime Day. In Jakarta INTERTANKO participated in a meeting, jointly hosted by the IMO and the Government of Indonesia, on safety and security of navigation in the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. At this meeting a Memorandum of Understanding was signed by INTERTANKO with respect to the IMO-led project of the Marine Electronic Highway.

The Asian Regional Panel met in Hong Kong in February and in Seoul in October under the chairmanship of Dr JH Lee. This forum ensures that there is good communication with members in Asia on key issues that the Association is working on globally, as well as discussion on specific issues of regional importance. These meetings were attended by the Association’s Chairman.

Hellenic Forum

Chairman
Emmanouel Vordonis
Secretary: Tim Wilkins

Hellentic Committee:
Emmanouel Vordonis, Thenamaris Ships Management Inc.
Angelos Spyrantis, Sun Enterprises Ltd.
Costis E. Kertsikoff, Eletson Corporation
Dimitris Dragazis, Consolidated Marine Management Inc.
Dimitris Lyras, Paralos Maritime Corporation
Dimitris S. Korkodilos, Andriaki Shipping Co. Ltd.
John G. Skordias, Chandris (Hellas) Inc.
John P. Ioannidis, Olympic Shipping & Management SA
Ken Marshall, Neda Maritime agency Co. Ltd.
Nicholas G. Fistes, Euronav N.V. (Ceres)
Nikolas P. Tsakos, Tsakos Shipping and Trading SA
Spyros M. Polemis, Seacrest Shipping Co. Ltd.

INTERTANKO’s Hellenic members continue to maintain an active level of participation in the associations work and with a newly-elected Chairmanship team, fronted by Emmanuel Vordonis of Thenamaris Ships Management, we can anticipate a continued increase in activity from this region during 2006.

A main theme running through the discussions of the Hellenic Committee when it met for the last time in 2005 was the desire to stimulate further the Greek members and encourage their active participation on key INTERTANKO issues. Speaking as the Chairman of the Forum, Vordonis stressed that "the key to ensuring the continuing success of this Forum within the Association is in the creation of a broad and strong collective to enable the exchange of new and fresh ideas. In this way, it can make a contribution of significance to all INTERTANKO members as well as to the whole tanker industry."

This increased activity in the Hellenic Forum is mirrored by a greater general public activity of Greek owners. The high number of Greek-linked public offerings continued in 2005 with evidence that other Greek companies may be following in this trend into 2006. Confidence is high among the players in the Greek tanker market, which is reflected in the Forum’s strong desire to be more active in contributing to debate and discussion, and in further improving the standing and image of the industry on a global level.

A demonstration of the Hellenic Forum’s desire to participate, and offer its views on the key issues for INTERTANKO, can be seen from the areas of focus during both the meetings held in 2005. The Forum’s second meeting, held just before the Association’s autumn Council meeting, allowed the region’s members to discuss actively the Council agenda, and subsequently to add input to the debates at Council on INTERTANKO’s Strategic Plan, international law and criminalisation, and the international oil pollution liability and compensation regime.

While policy matters related to legal and political issues took centre stage for the latter part of 2005, it was the technical issues which continued to dominate discussion in the first meeting of 2005. A continued high level of expertise on technical matters is illustrated by the in depth discussion and debate held on the common structural rules for tankers.

Latin America Panel

Chairman
Jose Peraza
Secretary: Joe Angelo

Latin American Panel members:
Jose Peraza (Chairman), Heidenreich Marine Caracas CA
Capt Jose Luis Hernandez, PMI Comercio Internacional SA de CV
Elizio Araujo Neto, Petrobras Transporte SA - Transpetro
Carlos Juan Madinabeitia, Tradewind Tankers CA
Gustavo Pereyra, Antares Naviera, SA
Michael Schroder, Sociedad Naviera Ultragas

"Representing INTERTANKO in the region is a fantastic activity for us all in Latin America, and we look forward to getting more and more people from this region involved. We are excited at the thought of having our next panel meeting first quarter 2006 in Brazil, and we are expecting strong attendance. The more we participate in INTERTANKO’s regional activity, the better our members will be represented internationally!" Jose Peraza, LAP Chairman

INTERTANKO’s Latin American Panel was established in March 2002 to promote interaction between the Association and the tanker industry in the region. The Panel members are working to promote the policies and strategies of INTERTANKO in Latin America and to establish the priorities and concerns of the Latin American tanker community. The Panel should act as a catalyst for enhancing the participation and involvement in the Association’s activities of members located in Latin America and will cooperate with other industry bodies in the region to harmonise trading conditions, promote safety at sea and protect the marine environment.

At the Panel’s fourth meeting in November in Miami Beach, Stephen Van Dyck, Chairman of INTERTANKO, provided an overview of the Association’s recent accomplishments and the outcome of the recentlyconcluded Council meeting. This included the newlyadopted Mission, Vision and Goals for INTERTANKO and its members. In addition, Richard Udell, a senior prosecuting attorney for the U.S. Department of Justice, spoke on vessel pollution enforcement, not only informing the Panel on recent prosecutions, but more valuably, sharing with the Panel newly-developed lessons learned from these cases which may assist INTERTANKO members in complying with pollution regulations.

The Panel also discussed a number of key technical issues, keeping Panel members informed of the latest international and regional developments and sharing experiences on these matters. These included recent U.S. state and federal legislation affecting tankers, phase-out of single hull tankers, ballast water management, air pollution and revision of Annex II of MARPOL. The Association also conducted a modified Vetting Seminar for Panel members with presentations of the Terminal Vetting Database and Risk Management in the Shipping Industry.

In an effort to further enhance its contribution to its members and to the Association, the Panel is looking to hold two meetings in 2006, with its 5th meeting tentatively scheduled for April 2006 in Rio de Janeiro. It is looking forward to increased enthusiastic participation by Latin American members in the important work and activities of the Association.

North America Panel

Chairman
Richard du Moulin
Secretary: Joe Angelo

"Our North American Panel had two successful meetings in 2005, where regional members had a chance to work together and grapple with major issues of great significance both to North America-based operators as well as to INTERTANKO members worldwide. We welcome the addition of Joe Angelo to the Secretariat team, and we thank Chairman Steve Van Dyck for his inspired leadership and all the INTERTANKO team for their hard work on our behalf in 2005." Richard du Moulin, NAP Chairman

The North American Panel’s 2005 activity and its meetings in April (Stamford, Connecticut) and in October (Houston, Texas) focused in particular on five main issues.

The Association and the Panel continue to maintain close contact with the U.S. Coast Guard as part of our partnership agreement. RAdm Larry Hereth, Director of Port Security, attended the Panel's meeting in April providing an update on the Coast Guard's experiences with enforcement of both the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code and the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA). Capt Richard Kaser, Commanding Officer of the Coast Guard Marine Safety Office in Houston, addressed the Panel's meeting in October covering the issues of maritime security and the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

In an effort to more fully understand the ongoing efforts of the U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) in prosecuting vessel pollution incidents, the Panel invited Richard Udell from the Environmental Crimes Section to its April meeting. He showed that the DoJ’s main focus is on deliberate and knowing polluters, explaining DoJ practices when information is provided by "whistleblowers". The Association is pursuing further possible means of cooperation with DoJ.

As a result of efforts by INTERTANKO and the American Waterways Operators, the U.S. DoJ filed a lawsuit against the state of Massachusetts charging that the state’s Oil Spill Act impermissibly treads on jurisdiction of the U.S. Coast Guard in making rules governing maritime operations in U.S. waters. INTERTANKO has allied itself with the American Waterways Operators, the Chamber of Shipping of America and BIMCO in a petition to join the U.S. government complaint against Massachusetts. This industry alliance views the Massachusetts State Oil Spill Act as a threat to safety and the environment.

Other action to regulate the tanker industry at the state level has been proposed in the legislatures of the states of California, Delaware, New Jersey and Rhode Island. However, thus far, in each instance, any proposed legislation which has been viewed as being preempted by Federal laws and regulations has not been passed by these states.

On the ballast water management front, a U.S. Federal judge in the Northern California District has granted INTERTANKO and the Shipping Industry Ballast Water Coalition's Motion to Intervene over the court's decision that the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) exemption of ballast water discharges from the permit requirements of the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) was improper under the Clean Water Act, and that the EPA had acted outside its statutory authority. At the moment, the EPA regulation is still in place, but at issue are the regulations that govern the discharge of ballast water and other discharges incidental to the operation of a ship within U.S. waters.