Legal and compliance

Work at a cleaner maritime world

Whether the issue is seaworthiness, licensing of seafarers, maritime well-being, coastal shipping regulation, environmental protection or safe operation of ships, the maritime industry has had to adapt and change to a rapidly evolving regulatory landscape. PortExpertise has practical and legal knowledge to assist vessel owners, operators and masters to navigate the regulatory compliance minefield. In different areas, such as commercial maritime law, pollution.

Our newest service Maritime Well-Being, makes your organization crisis-prepared in case of disruptive events, such as maritime crime, corruption, and excessive internal conflicts. These events are caused by human behavior, are interrupting continuity and can hardly be predicted. To prevent these disruptive events from happening and to build a risk-resilient organization your first step is our MWB assessment. Based on the results, we jointly develop your company policy based on a continuum of care, completed with subsequent and additional training and coaching.

Finally, the whole process will result in more safety, less downtime, better performance and no extra expenses on rerouting and repatriation. Your company will be rewarded with more profit, a better reputation and a stronger corporate image.

All will benefit.

Fields of expertise

IMO, Maritime Well-Being, European directives compliance, EMSA, Marpol, ECM • Trade practices: INCO, AEO, ISPS, HACPP, GMP • Port service contracts & licenses • Standard terms for stevedores • Bulk handling agreements • Shipping agent terms

Case in the spotlights

New legislation for port authority and terminal privatization, Montenegro, 2006-08.

PortExpertise analyzed the existing legal status of the Montenegro port and handed the solution of which legal stature to choose to ensure future development.

Challenge

The port of Montenegro was to comply with Europe's port package, which included transformation of the organization form to landlord concept, allowing private initiative.

Action

PortExpertise experts developed a transformation program for the Ministry of transport, to allow a gradual privatization of terminals, equipment and personnel. After the port reform, PortExpertise organized trainings on the future role of the port authority in relation to the harbour master office, the ministry of transport and the private sector dealing with concession contracts, key performance indicators, labour organization (setup of a contingent of qualified dockers, creation of added value services etc.)

Result

The concerned port has developed to a landlord organization, allowing private investors.

Other cases in this field of expertise

eFTI4EU

PortExpertise participates in the eFTI4EU project (budget of 28.3 million €) under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) program of the European Commission. It is a cooperation of a pan-European consortium of 23 partners, including 9 Member States (plus 4 Observers), to realize a reference implementation for Electronic Freight Transport Information (eFTI) architecture.

eFTI4EU is the 1st wide scale eFTI project making the EU Regulation 2020/1056 (eFTI) real. During 36 months, it is to create an efficient freight transport and logistics network, thereby improving the functioning of the internal market and the social and economic cohesion of all regions, through the support in adopting digitalized transport documents and smooth paperless administration.

IPCOEA – IMPROVEMENT OF PORT CUSTOMS & OPERATION EFFICIENCY IN AFRICA 2020-2021

PortExpertise performed transport Maritime and port administrations capacity building activities into the contract of International Maritime Safety Security And Environment Academy (IPCOEA) lead by Circle. The topic concerned the improvement of port customs and operation efficiency in Africa. All session were web-streamed.(2019-2021). The countries involved were Guinea, Senegal, Gambia, Sierra Leone, Ivory coast (Abidjan), Ivory coast (San Pedro), Ghana, Cape Verde and Nigeria

Framework technical, organisation support to DTLF

PortExpertise acts as maritime and digital data expert in the framework MOVE/D1/2019-280, a single framework contract for technical and organizational support to the Digital Transport and Logistics Forum (DTLF). The consortium is lead by Deloitte, Belgium (2020-2023).

Authorised Economic Operator – Certificate renewal for ICT client 2020

PortExpertise reviewed the company's renewal of the Authorized Economic Operator certificate, which included the analysis of current procedures, and suggested remediations as per AEO Self-Assessment guidelines. The remediation included insights from the security breaches in the transport and logistics sector.

RIS Douro Audit 2018

Audit on project deliverables related to River Information Services. The provided services included compliance check with directives, comparison with other Member States RIS maturity level, review of actions to be taken.

Belgian Maritime Incident Management 2017

PortExpertise's Mr. Bentein performed a business analysis of maritime incident management commissioned by distinct Belgian authorities (SAR, Belgian Search and Rescue Authority and the SafeSeaNet national authority.

Feasibility study and preliminary design for Vietnam Southern Region waterwayd and transport logistics corridorproject, 2016-2017.

The Vietnamese authorities were assisted with a feasibility study and preliminary design for Vietnam Southern region waterways and transport logistics corridor project. PortExpertise's consultant, Erwin Lock, recently presented his interim report. After some additional research, Vietnam authorities will soon present the final report to the World Bank in order to get funds for developing this port project.

Training of port terminal Director, Beira, Mozambique, 2016.

PortExpertise provided the training of a port terminal manager to be located in Beira. Expert training was given during a general training program set-up by Venturn NL. PortExpertise experts contributed to on-the-job trainings related to ISPS, AEO, IT-applications (Terminal Management Systems) and terminal planning (dry bulk, break bulk).

Pre-screening, establishment and evaluation of European subsidy projects on EU-program specs, Antwerp, 2014-17.

PortExpertise pre-screens European subsidy projects on EU-program specs: eligibility, financial plan, risk management, dissemination plan etc. It also helps to complete the applications and provides calculations and the always requested dissemination and communication plan. The EU-programs deal with mobility, innovation in marine context, such as the TEN-T program and Horizon 2020. PortExpertise experts also evaluate European subsidy applications from private companies and public authorities from all EU-member states.

Establishing waste reception facilities for inland navigation, Austria-Hungary-Croatia-Bulgaria-Romania, 2014.

PortExpertise identified the technical and managerial measures that can contribute to the minimization of ship generated waste. It evaluated the financial implications, presented an harmonized system for waste collection, and an indirect fee system for ship generated waste between the participating countries.

New legislation for port authority and terminal privatization, Montenegro, 2006-08.

PortExpertise analyzed the existing legal status of the Montenegro port and handed the solution of which legal stature to choose to ensure future development.

From CoRISMa to COMEX. Coordinate development activities of RIS-related infrastructure and systems to facilitate inland waterways use, 2015-2020.

PortExpertise has lead the berth-booking pilot in several European countries on the European Corisma-project, aiming to improve infrastructure on inland waterways, and has ended this test phase end 2015. But now PortExpertise participates in the sequel.
As inland shipping contributes to the greening of transport, benefits can be enhanced when RIS (River Information Systems) not only focus on infrastructure, but also on cargo, people, operations and craft. PortExpertise will assist the competent authority of Luxembourg project activities of RIS-enabled Corridor Management Execution with focus on uniform services, processes and technologies on European scale.

Environmental assessment for the proposed Roberts Bank Terminal 2, Vancouver, Canada, 2013.

PortExpertise and Canadian partner NSIP3 realized a federal environmental assessment for the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project (Canadian Environmental Assessment Act (2012)). The project was evaluated against institutional and port related policies regarding sustainable development.

Certification projects, various ports, 2009-14.

PortExpertise realized certification projects for various maritime port terminals (ISO, AEO, GMP, ISPS, HACCP) and various ports various mainly European ports (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Antwerp, Ghent, Mesaieed).

Environmental, safety and security audit, Liepaja port, Latvia, 2004.

PortExpertise realized an environmental, safety and security port audit system in the port of Liepaja.

Activity Based Costing-analysis, Panamaribo, Suriname, 2006-07.

PortExpertise provided technical assistance for the rehabilitation, upgrading and institutional strengthening of the port of Paramaribo. It presented activity based costing research, reviewed port tariffs, valuated port assets, lease agreements, the budget and accounting system.

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