14.09.2011 Международная конвенция об аресте судов (Женева, 12.03.1999) вступила в силу. По общему мнению, это шаг вперед по сравнению с действующей Конвенцией по унификации некоторых правил относительно наложения ареста на морские суда (Брюссель, 1952). В частности, список морских требований приведен в соответствие с потребностями практики торгового мореплавания.
On 14 September 2011 the International Convention on Arrest of Ships 1999 (“the 1999 Convention”) came into force amongst its ten acceding states, following the accession by the tenth state Albania six months ago.
The ten states to which the 1999 Convention applies are as follows:
Albania, Algeria, Benin, Bulgaria, Ecuador, Estonia, Latvia, Liberia, Spain and the Syrian Arab Republic.
The 1952 Convention remains the dominant convention and is in force in seventy-seven countries.
In the UK, arrest of ships continues to be subject to the Supreme Courts Act 1981.
The 1999 Convention widens the ambit of the 1952 Brussels Convention on the Arrest of Sea-going Ships (“the 1952 Convention”) by increasing the types of claim giving rise to a right to arrest. In addition, the new convention clarifies the ambiguity of the 1952 Convention by stating that it applies to any vessel. The 1952 Convention is unclear as to its effect on vessels which are not flying the flag of a contracting state.
The additional types of claim for which arrest is permitted under the 1999 Convention (but not the 1952 Convention) include the following:
- outstanding Insurance Premiums (including P&I calls) commissions, brokerages and agency fees;
- damage, or threat of damage, to the environment (including the clean-up costs and reasonable steps taken to avoid damage);
- wreck removal;
- loss or damage in connection to goods (including luggage) and not just damage to the goods themselves;
- provisions, bunkers and equipment (including containers) which are supplied for the ship’s operation or maintenance (these not being specifically provided for in the 1952 Convention);
- port, canal and pilotage dues (affirming that this convention applies to vessels that navigate inland waterways and not just sea-going vessels);
- disputes arising from a contract for sale of a ship.
The 1999 Convention is a positive step towards a clearer and more all-encompassing approach to ship arrest for marine claims. But claimants should be reminded that its current application is limited to those states listed above. In addition, it is important to note that each country adopting the 1999 Convention will do so individually and there may be differences as to how the new convention is applied.
For a more in-depth comparison of the 1999 and 1952 Conventions please see Hill Dickinson’s “At A Glance Guide” to the Arrest Regimes.
Jonathan Woods
jonathan.woods@hilldickinson.com
Tel: +44 (0) 207 280 9268
Rory Grout
rory.grout@hilldickinson.com
Tel: +44 (0) 207 280 9304
Hill Dickinson LLP