Summary of Working Paper No. 151-1999

IV.3.4 ”Arctic Environmental Law. Harmonization of Polar Ship Rules. International and National Provisions.”

By L.G. Tsoy, S.B. Karavanov, Yu.V. Glebko and M.A. Grechin, Central Marine Research and Design Institute, St. Petersburg, Russia; and V.V. Mikhailichenko, Northern Sea Route Administration, Minsitry of Transport, Moscow, Russia.

The objective of the IV.3.4 project was to study the present day practice and experience of the arctic shipping in Russia, Canada, Scandinavia and in the USA. Also encompassed are developments of the External Working Group on Harmonization of Polar Ship Rules in relation to its work on the IMO Code and the unified IACS requirements, SOLAS and other Rules in connection with the Arctic Environmental Protection Strategy/Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (AEPS/PAME). Within the framework of the present Project the Russian Party has made the collection and analysis of existing Russian legislative acts regarding the arctic shipping. On the basis of the long-standing experience of the operation and damageability of ships in the Arctic, proposals on the common international ice classification of arctic ships taking into account differences in ice performance between icebreakers and icebreaking cargo ships have been developed.