No. 8 2006/2007 - Blue Card - Issuance to Registered Owners Only
January 2007
Dear Sirs
BLUE CARD - ISSUANCE TO REGISTERED OWNERS ONLY
The Clubs in the International Group are the principal providers of Blue Cards which provide the basis for States to issue the State certificates in accordance with the International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage, 1992 (CLC).
The Convention requires the owner of a ship registered in a CLC Contracting State and carrying more than 2,000 tons of oil in bulk as cargo to maintain insurance cover in accordance with the requirements of the Convention, which is evidenced by the Blue Card issued by the Club. CLC tankers must carry a State certificate on board attesting the insurance coverage.
It has been reported that some CLC Contracting States1 are requiring Blue Cards naming both the owner and the bareboat charterer.
It is understood that some Clubs may have complied with these requests to name the bareboat charterer in respect of the 2006 policy year.
It has now been agreed by all International Group Clubs that the practice of naming bareboat charterers in Blue Cards must be discontinued with immediate effect since this does not reflect the clear provisions of the Convention, which make the registered owner solely liable and explicitly exclude the charterer, including a bare boat charterer, from liability. For the purposes of the Convention International Group Clubs will now only provide a Blue Card to the “person or persons registered as the owner of the ship”.
Those authorities that have previously requested the naming of bareboat charterers have been informed that this practice will be discontinued with effect from 20 February 2007.
Yours faithfully
For: West of England Insurance Services (Luxembourg) S.A.
(As Managers)
P J Kirkman
Director
1CLC contracting states reported so far are: Venezuela, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Marshall Islands, Luxembourg, Liberia, Italy and France.