The Merchant Shipping Directorate would like to remind all those concerned that Merchant Shipping Notices No 74, 75 and 86 dealing with the restrictive measures imposed against the Islamic Republic of Iran are still in force and must be complied with at all times.

Moreover, attention is drawn to the adoption on 23 March 2012 by the Council of the European Union of Regulation (EU) No 267/2012 concerning restrictive measures against Iran and repealing Regulation (EU) No 961/2010.

The attention of the shipping community is drawn in particular, to provisions involving the transportation of crude oil, petroleum products and petrochemical products if they originate in Iran or are being exported form Iran to any other country. The prohibitions outlined above shall be without prejudice to the execution, until 1 July 2012, of contracts concluded before 23 January 2012 or transport of crude oil or petroleum products which had been exported from Iran prior to 23 January 2012. Any notification to perform a contract in lieu of Regulation (EU) No 267/2012 shall be made to the relevant competent authority.

To this effect, companies established in Malta or operating Maltese ships are required to abide by these restrictive measures when planning their operations and, to extend their full cooperation for their enforcement. Moreover, the shipping community is reminded that without prejudice to the penalties for violations contemplated in Legal Notice 372 of 2010, the use of Maltese ships in contravention to the restrictive measures may lead to closure of registry.

The electronic version of the above-mentioned Council Regulation can be downloaded from:

http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2012:088:0001:0112:EN:PDF

For further details, contact us on:

Tel: (00356) 21 651387
Fax: (00356) 21 651384
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.combinedmaritime.com