We are pleased to present the twenty-fifth edition of the Annual Report on Port State Control in the Black Sea region which is published under the auspices of the Port State Control Committee of the Black Sea MoU.
Port State Control is of particular importance to the BS MoU member Authorities due to the role of shipping in the region’s trade, the sensitivity of the Black Sea basin and its coastline to environmental damage. PSC inspections are conducted to ensure that foreign ships visiting the Black Sea ports are seaworthy, do not pose a pollution risk, provide a healthy and safe environment and comply with relevant international regulations and within the scope of the member Authorities’ national governing laws and regulations. This Annual Report provides an overview of PSC activities conducted between 1 January and 31 December 2025. The reporting period was marked by the ongoing armed conflict between the Russian Federation and Ukraine, which continued to pose serious risks to the safety and security of crews and vessels operating in the region and not boding well with the BS MoU’s objectives.
The year 2025 marked a notable increase in inspection activity within the framework of the Black Sea MoU on Port State Control. A total of 5,117 inspections were carried out by the BS MoU member Authorities, representing an 11.6% increase compared to 2024. While this reflects a welcome recovery in inspection activity, the total number of inspections remains approximately 3% below the ten-year average of 5,274 inspections under the New Inspection Regime, which has been in force since 1 January 2016.
From 1 September 2025 to 30 November 2025, the Black Sea MoU carried out a Concentrated
Inspection Campaign (CIC) on Ballast Water Management. The campaign was carried out by the
Member Authorities of the Black Sea MoU that have ratified the International Convention for the
Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004 (BWM Convention). The CIC
was conducted in conjunction with the Paris and the Tokyo Memoranda. This campaign was
conducted under the campaign coordination of the Maritime Administration of Türkiye. The
Guidelines and Questionnaires jointly developed by the Paris and Tokyo Memoranda were used
throughout the campaign.
The CIC applied to all ships and each ship was subjected to only one CIC inspection during the
campaign period. Over the course of the campaign, a total of 775 inspections were carried out by
the member Authorities of the BS MoU which are a party to the BWM Convention, covering 736
individual ships. Among these, 624 inspections were conducted using the CIC questionnaire. During
the CIC, 76 ships were detained in total. Of which, 52 detentions were the result of inspections with
CIC questionnaires and 16 of them were detained directly attributed to CIC-related deficiencies.
A total of 59 questionnaires recorded at least one non-compliance response, representing 9.46 per
cent of CIC inspections. The overall average rate of non-compliances was 1.51%, reflecting the
proportion of the “unsatisfactory” answers in relation to all applicable questionnaire responses.
Varna, BULGARIA –The Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control in the Black Sea Region (Black Sea MoU) held the 26th meeting of its Port State Control Committee (PSCC26) from 21 to 23 April 2026 in Varna, Bulgaria. The meeting was chaired by Captain Hayri Hasandayioglu, Head of the Ship Inspection Department of the Republic of Türkiye.
The session was formally opened by Captain Ventsislav Ivanov, Executive Director of the Bulgarian Maritime Administration, who welcomed the delegates and expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to host the meeting. In his opening remarks, Captain Ivanov emphasized the vital role of port State control in ensuring maritime safety, security, and environmental protection. He also underlined the importance of effective cooperation among Member Authorities and commended their continued professionalism and dedication.
The meeting was attended by all the 6 Member Authorities, Bulgaria, Georgia, Romania, the Russian Federation, Türkiye and Ukraine, as well as observers from Azerbaijan, Moldova, the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Labour Organization (ILO), the Abuja MoU, the Mediterranean MoU, the Paris MoU, the Tokyo MoU, and the Viňa del Mar Agreement attended to the meeting. Observers of Kazakhstan, United States Coast Guard, the Indian Ocean MoU, the Riyadh MoU and the Commission on the Protection of the Black Sea against Pollution were unable to attend.
From 1 September 2025 to 30 November 2025, the Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control in the Black Sea Region (BS MoU) carried out a Concentrated Inspection Campaign (CIC) focusing on Ballast Water Management.
The campaign involved the member Authorities of the BS MoU that have ratified the International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships’ Ballast Water and Sediments, 2004 (BWM Convention). This CIC was conducted under the campaign coordination of the Maritime Administration of Türkiye. This campaign was conducted in conjunction with the Paris and Tokyo Memoranda, utilizing their joint Guidelines and Questionnaires. The campaign shows the following preliminary results.
Text of the Memorandum of Understanding on Port State Control in the Black Sea Region, 15th Amendment (effective from January 1, 2026).
Annual Report for 2025