MEPC 56/23 

I:\MEPC\56\23.doc 

ANNEX 11 

RESOLUTION MEPC.164(56) 

Adopted on 13 July 2007 

AMENDMENTS TO THE ANNEX OF THE PROTOCOL OF 1978 RELATING TO 

THE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE PREVENTION OF 

POLLUTION FROM SHIPS, 1973 

(Reception facilities outside Special Areas and discharge of sewage) 

THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION COMMITTEE, 

 RECALLING Article 38(a) of the Convention on the International Maritime Organization 

concerning the functions of the Marine Environment Protection Committee (the Committee) 

conferred upon it by international conventions for the prevention and control of marine pollution, 

 NOTING Article 16 of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from 

Ships, 1973 (hereinafter referred to as the “1973 Convention”) and article VI of the Protocol 

of 1978 relating to the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships, 1973 

(hereinafter referred to as the “1978 Protocol”) which together specify the amendment procedure 

of the 1978 Protocol and confer upon the appropriate body of the Organization the function of 

considering and adopting amendments to the 1973 Convention, as modified by the 1978 Protocol 

(MARPOL 73/78), 

 HAVING CONSIDERED proposed amendments to regulation 38.2.5 of Annex I and 

regulation 11.1.1 of Annex IV to MARPOL 73/78, 

1. ADOPTS, in accordance with Article 16(2)(d) of the 1973 Convention, the amendments 

to Annex I and Annex IV of MARPOL 73/78, the texts of which are set out at Annex 1 and 

Annex 2 respectively to the present resolution; 

2. DETERMINES, in accordance with Article 16(2)(f)(iii) of the 1973 Convention, that the 

amendments shall be deemed to have been accepted on 1 June 2008, unless prior to that date, not 

less than one-third of the Parties or Parties the combined merchant fleets of which constitute not 

less than 50 per cent of the gross tonnage of the world’s merchant fleet, have communicated to 

the Organization their objection to the amendments; 

3. INVITES the Parties to note that, in accordance with Article 16(2)(g)(ii) of 

the 1973 Convention, the said amendments shall enter into force on 1 December 2008 upon their 

acceptance in accordance with paragraph 2 above; 

4. REQUESTS the Secretary-General, in conformity with Article 16(2)(e) of 

the 1973 Convention, to transmit to all Parties to MARPOL 73/78 certified copies of the present 

resolution and the text of the amendments contained in the Annexes; and 

5. REQUESTS FURTHER the Secretary-General to transmit to the Members of the 

Organization which are not Parties to MARPOL 73/78 copies of the present resolution and 

its Annexes. 
 MEPC 56/23 

ANNEX 11 

Page 3 

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ANNEX 2 

AMENDMENTS TO MARPOL ANNEX IV 

(Discharge of sewage) 

Regulation 11.1.1 is replaced by the following: 

“.1 the ship is discharging comminuted and disinfected sewage using a system 

approved by the Administration in accordance with regulation 9.1.2 of this Annex 

at a distance of more than 3 nautical miles from the nearest land, or sewage which 

is not comminuted or disinfected, at a distance of more than 12 nautical miles 

from the nearest land, provided that, in any case, the sewage that has been stored 

in holding tanks, or sewage originating from spaces containing living animals, 

shall not be discharged instantaneously but at a moderate rate when the ship is en 

route and proceeding at not less than 4 knots; the rate of discharge shall be 

approved by the Administration based upon standards developed by the 

Organization8

; or” 

***

 

8

 Refer to the Recommendation on standards for the rate of discharge of untreated sewage from ships adopted by 

the Marine Environment Protection Committee of the Organization by resolution MEPC.157(55).