The Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) and the European Barge Inspection Scheme (EBIS) are pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to transition key elements of EBIS into OCIMF’s Ship Inspection Report (SIRE) programme. These include the EBIS vessel questionnaire templates, technical information templates currently in development by EBIS, Version 9. As a result of a successful transfer and use of EBIS 9 templates into the OCIMF SIRE programme, the EBIS Board of Directors with their membership are expected to terminate its obligations and dissolve the EBIS company in 2022.

To facilitate a smooth transition both organisations have agreed:

• All EBIS members can apply to become SIRE programme recipients. OCIMF will seek to assist the EBIS members in their application.
• All Accredited EBIS Inspectors will have the opportunity to gain SIRE Cat 3 accreditation for the European region following application and a training course.
• Assistance will be provided to vessel Owners and Operators transferring their fleet’s EBIS technical information into the SIRE database.
• EBIS 9 will be hosted by OCIMF from 1 January 2021. This aligns with EBIS’s normal implementation cycle of a new questionnaire and technical information templates. The EBIS 8 questionnaire will be retired from the EBIS database and this data will be available in the current EBIS database as a historical document, until 31 December 2021.

OCIMF and EBIS look forward to working and sharing detailed information with their stakeholders on this exciting and historic project in the European inland barge industry.

Rob Drysdale, Director, Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) said, “I am pleased that EBIS and OCIMF are officially announcing this important initiative. The benefits are that the EBIS questionnaire becomes part of an established and well respected programme that will ensure its ongoing viability and sharing of global lessons and best practices within the inland navigation industry. It also consolidates barge inspections within Europe into a single system. This is a good thing for members of EBIS and OCIMF and barge operators alike. There is still much to do to complete this work seamlessly, but the teams are up to the task and we look forward to sharing more information as we progress through the plan.”

Robert Brook, Chairman, Board of Directors, the European Barge Inspection Scheme (EBIS) said, “The EBIS Board of Directors looks forward to this transition and the ability to build on the success of EBIS over the last 20 years”.