1978

1968
• International Association
• of Classification Societies
(IACS) formed • Important changes in tanker
design and operations follow
• International Convention on
Load Lines (CLL) enters into
force
1973 IMCO’s tanker safety
conference

• International Convention • New measures incorporated

for the Prevention of in the International
Pollution from Ships Convention for the
(MARPOL) adopted Prevention of Pollution from
Ships, 1973 as modified by
• IMCO’s Marine the Protocol of 1978
Environment Protection (MARPOL 73/78) and
Committee set up subsequent annexes.
1970
• International Convention on
• Polish Register of Standards of Training,
Shipping joins IACS Certification and
Watchkeeping for Seafarers
adopted

• IACS holds first meeting of

General Policy Group

• IACS holds first IACS

Council Meeting
• Convention on
• IACS given consultative the International
status with the Regulations for
Intergovernmental Maritime Preventing Collisions
Consultative Organisation, at Sea,1972 adopted
IMCO, which became the
International Maritime • IACS Permanent
Organization (IMO) in 1982. 1972 Representative to the
IMO appointed
• Russian Maritime Register

1976
of Shipping becomes IACS
Member

• International Convention
for the Safety of Life at
Sea (SOLAS) adopted

1969 1974
 1991
• Intensive IACS Member

1983 investigations into dramatic

bulk carrier casualty surge
begin
• MARPOL 73/78
enters into force • Interim measures to improve
bulk carrier safety adopted

• IACS holds first Summit

Meeting

• Establishment of IACS
Quality System Certification
1984 Scheme (QSCS)

• First set of SOLAS

amendments enter
into force

1993
• IACS’ Enhanced
1990 Survey Programme for
older bulk carriers and
• IACS decides to make tankers introduced
big changes to meet
changing sector’s • IMO Assembly adopts
challenges and tackle International Safety
criticism that class is Management (ISM)
excessively secretive Code

• China Classification Society

and Korean Register of Shipping
become IACS Members • First in series of IACS
initiatives towards safer bulk
• Amendments to SOLAS and carrier fleet
CLL see introduction of
harmonised survey and • Double-hull or IMO-approved
certification procedures, evolved alternative measures adopted
with considerable IACS input for new and existing tankers

• IACS’ first • First in series of IACS steps to • IACS’ Permanent Secretariat

Extraordinary Council prevent ‘class-hopping’, a trend in London Established
Meeting takes place in which owners switch to class
societies with lower standards
1980

1992
1988
 1998
1994
• Bulk Carriers - Handle with
• International Code of Safety Care published
for High-Speed Craft adopted
• Three most significant
• IACS Council announces class-related safety
biggest single research effort developments for many
in IACS history: an years: entry into force of ISM
investigation into how older Code for all Phase One

1996
bulk carriers could be made vessels, revision to SOLAS
safer and how greater on Recognized Organizations
strength and survivability and IACS requirement for
margins could be realised in • European Council stronger new bulk carriers
newbuildings Directive makes PSC
effort obligatory for
• IACS involved in research Member States
after Estonia disaster
• New Conditions of Class
• IACS starts giving practical unveiled requiring greater
help to Port State Control strength in reserves in
(PSC) authorities on ships both existing ships and
changing class, providing stronger new vessels from
databases on PSC mid-1998 as a prelude to
detentions and giving training
assistance - especially in the
IMO’s new 12th chapter of
SOLAS 2006
connection between IMO
Conventions and Class Rules • IACS’ Associate status
restored
• IMO’s Maritime Safety
Committee (MSC) sets up • Application of Common
panel on roll-on/roll-off (ro-ro) Structural Rules for Bulk
safety Carriers and Double Hull
Oil Tankers

• IACS’ mid-year Council Meeting

agrees January 1, 1996
implementation of program of
seven Marine Safety Initiatives,
all focused on restricting • IACS researches and
operation of shipping failing to publishes first-ever
meet IACS’ standards comprehensive guide • Common Structural
to Shipbuilding and Rules for Bulk Carriers
• Establishment of Procedural Repair Quality and Double Hull Oil
Guidelines for Members’ Standards Tankers adopted
upcoming heavy involvement in
ISM Code-certifications and
launch of comprehensive
• SOLAS amended to
improve safety of
2005
mandatory training initiatives for new and existing
society Auditors involved bulk carriers

• Study conducted by IACS in

partnership with IMO suggests 1997 • IACS decides to
higher safety margin need discontinue Associate
status
• IMO Assembly adopts ro-ro and
bulk carrier safety resolutions
2000
1995
 2009
• EC settles its competition investigation
with no findings of infringement of
competition laws by IACS

• Commitments made regarding Criteria

for IACS Membership, procedures for 2011
non-IACS classification society
participation in development of IACS • Croatian Register of
Resolutions (defined), availability of Shipping and Polish
Resolutions and their backgrounds Register of Shipping
and establishment of Independent become IACS Members
Appeal Board
• With adoption of
• Implementation of the Transfer of amendments to MARPOL
Class Agreement, whereby no member Annex VI, Energy
Efficiency Design Index is
2014
will accept a ship that has no carried
out improvements demanded by its made mandatory for new
• IACS Statutory
previous class society ships while Ship Energy
Panel split into
Efficiency Management
Environmental
• IACS QSCS amended in such a way Plan is made obligatory
Panel and Safety
that audits and assessment of QSCS for all vessels
Panel
compliance are to be carried out by an
independent external Accredited • GL leaves IACS
Certification Body, or independent
external Accredited Certification
Bodies. Also modified requirements
can be applied equally by IACS
Members and non-IACS class
societies, including those not wanting
to apply for IACS membership.

• New IACS Charter formally adopted

• European Commission (EC) • Merger of DNV and GL to

competition investigation form DNV GL
begins with raids on the head
offices of Bureau Veritas, Set • Adoption of Common
Norske Veritas (DNV), Structural Rules for Bulk
Germanischer Lloyd (GL), Carriers and Oil Tankers
Lloyd’s Register, Registro (CSR BC & OT)
Italiano Naval and IACS’ • Indian Register of Shipping
Permanent Secretariat becomes full IACS
Member and Associate
• Revised MARPOL Annex VI, category ends
with significantly
strengthened requirements, • With a lot of talk about
adopted with date of January improving energy
1, 2020 set in the regulations efficiency, IACS warns
for entry into force of new against taking this to the
extreme and advises ships
global limit for sulphur
content of ships’ fuel oil of not to switch to smaller 2013
0.5% mass by mass engines. IACS instigator of
looking at bigger picture
and pushing for engines to
2008 be made more efficient

2010
2016 2021
• 96th session of MSC • Changes to IACS
approves MSC.1/Circ.1518, Governance and
confirming that shops Leadership with the Council
contracted under the 12 Chair and GPG Chair being
IACS Members’ verified elected from amongst the
rules are deemed to meet Members
IMO’s Goal Based
Standards • MEPC adopts amendments 2023
to MARPOL Annex VI,
requiring ships to reduce • Türk Loydu joins IACS
their greenhouse gas
emissions. These • MSC agrees to a new
amendments combine output on "Development of
technical and operational a safety regulatory
methods to enhance the framework to support the
energy efficiency of ships, reduction of GHG
in line with the targets set in emissions from ships using
the 2018 Initial IMO new technologies and
Strategy for Reducing GHG alternative fuels", to be
Emissions from Ships and added to the MSC agenda,
also serve as foundational starting with MSC 108
steps for future GHG
2017 reduction measures

• International Convention
for the Control and
Management of Ships’
Ballas Water and
Sediments enters into
force

2024
• IACS establishes Safe
• MSC approves interim
Digital Transformation
guidelines for safety of
Panel
ships using methyl/ethyl
alcohol as fuel.
• IACS establishes Safe
Decarbonisation Panel
2020
• IACS Council withdraws
Russian Maritime Register
of Shipping’s Membership
• MSC approves Interim
• MSC adopts the new
guidelines for Maritime
SOLAS chapter XV and
Autonomous Surface
the associated new
Ships (MASS) trials.
International Code of
Safety for Ships Carrying
2019 Industrial Personnel (IP
Code).

• CSR BC & OT applied

2022

2015