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New Secretary-General Appointed for the Paris MoU

The Paris MoU held its 51st Committee meeting in Cascais, Portugal, from the 7-11 May 2018.
The Paris MoU held its 51st Committee meeting in Cascais, Portugal, from the 7-11 May 2018.

Published Nov 15, 2018 5:45 PM by The Maritime Executive

Luc Smulders has been appointed as the new Secretary-General at the Secretariat of the Paris MoU on Port State Control (PSC). He is succeeding Richard Schiferli who retired on November 1, 2018 after 29 years of service to the Paris MoU. 

Smulders was educated at the Royal Navy Academy of the Netherlands, and he sailed for five years as a naval officer. After a short period in the private sector, he worked as an inspector and adviser in the Netherlands Shipping Inspectorate where he gained relevant knowledge on maritime legislation and the practice of inspections. 

In 2007, he moved to the maritime policy directorate dealing with subjects such as the European Maritime Safety Agency and the Paris MoU on Port State Control. He was appointed as coordinating policy adviser within the Maritime Affairs Directorate of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management and also served as the Alternate Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the IMO. 

“I am very much looking forward to succeeding Richard Schiferli,” said Smulders. “He leaves behind a Secretariat that has largely been formed under his leadership and has grown into what it is today. Moreover, although it will not be easy to compensate for the knowledge and experience of Richard himself, I’m comforted by the structure and the quality of the Secretariat he’s leaving behind.” 

In the latest Paris MoU annual report, Schiferli says: “Much has been accomplished since I started in this job. The membership has been increased from 14 to 27 maritime authorities. The organizational structure of the MoU was changed to better anticipate on future challenges. The training of Port State Control Officers has contributed to a higher level of professionalism, taking into account the ever increasing amount of new international requirements for ships. Observer status with the ILO and IMO has contributed to a better understanding of PSC issues in these Organizations.

“Moreover, the co-operation between regional PSC regimes has been fundamental in the framework of harmonization of procedures. None of this would have been possible without the support and dedication of all the Paris MoU members, observers, the European Commission and EMSA. I thank them all. It has been an honor and privilege to work for the Paris MoU on Port State Control for so many years.”

The Paris MoU is currently running a Concentrated Inspection Campaign on MARPOL Annex VI. The main objectives of the CIC, running from September 1 to November 30, are to establish the level of compliance with the requirements and to create awareness among ships’ crew and shipowners.