The Paris MoU on Port State Control has published its annual report for 2025. The report indicates that port state control in Europe and the North Atlantic region remains challenging.
Both the number of refusals of access and the detention rate have risen. At the same time, the known weaknesses on board remain largely the same.
In 2025, 19 ships were subject to a ban on access. This means that the number of so-called bans is once again above the figures of previous years, when the level was comparatively low. The detention rate also rose, increasing from 4.03% in the previous year to 4.18%. This marks a continuation of a period of higher detention rates; in 2022, the figure had already stood at 4.25%. The Paris MoU has announced that it will continue to monitor this trend.
However, according to the annual report, there is no clear shift towards a single set of regulations in terms of the deficiencies identified. The areas of concern remain widely distributed. Once again, the most frequently affected areas were fire safety under SOLAS Chapter II-2, accounting for 16.8 per cent; structural and electrical equipment under SOLAS Chapter II-1, at 11.6 per cent; and health protection, medical care and social security under MLC Title IV, at 10.0 per cent. At the level of individual deficiencies, fire doors (3.1 per cent) and seafarers’ employment agreements (1.3 per cent) stood out in particular. ISM-related deficiencies accounted for a total of 4.5 per cent.
Germany remains on the White List
The annual report also includes the updated performance lists for flag states and recognised organisations. These are valid from 1 July 2026 to 6 July 2027 and are factored into the calculation of the Ship Risk Profile.
The assessment of flag states is based on a rolling three-year period. Flags with at least 30 inspections are taken into account. The Paris MoU has not identified any major shifts between the White, Grey and Black Lists compared with the previous year.
In total, the current assessment covers 69 flag states. Of these, 40 are on the White List, 19 on the Grey List and ten on the Black List. The White List is headed by the Cayman Islands with an excess factor of -1.95. They are followed by Sweden and Norway. Germany ranks 13th on the White List with an excess factor of -1.28.
At the bottom of the Black List are Cameroon, Tanzania and the Comoros. They are classified as ‘Very High Risk’. Cameroon has an Excess Factor of 7.14, Tanzania 6.55 and the Comoros 4.99.
ABS ahead of DNV among recognised organisations
The performance of recognised organisations is also assessed over a three-year period. A minimum of 60 inspections is required for inclusion on the list. In 2025, 31 organisations met this criterion, compared with 29 in the previous year.
The Paris MoU does not identify any notable trends in this area either. The number of organisations in the lowest performance category remains low. In the ‘High’ category, the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) tops the list with an excess factor of -1.89. It is followed by DNV with -1.84 and the Korean Register with -1.76.
At the bottom of the RO list, in the ‘Low’ category, are the Bulgarian Register of Shipping with an excess factor of 1.35 and the Hellas Naval Bureau of Shipping with 1.64.
HANSA will provide a detailed analysis of the annual report and the updated performance lists in its forthcoming August issue.
