With most eyes on the development of a mid-term measure on GHG emissions, the 83rd meeting of the IMO’s Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 83) also made significant progress on other matters with the go-ahead given for the development of a new convention on biofouling, the introduction of an experience building phase on ship recycling and agreement on CII reduction factors for 2027 to 2030. Amendments to mandatory requirements MEPC 83 adopted amendments to the NOx Technical Code 2008 concerning the use of multiple engine operational profiles for a marine diesel engine, including clarifying engine test cycles. The amendments will enter into force on 1 March 2027. The Committee also adopted amendments to the NOx Technical Code 2008 concerning the certification of an engine subject to substantial modification or being certified to a tier to which the engine was not certified at the time of its installation. These amendments will enter into force on 1 September 2026. A Convention on Biofouling MEPC 83 agreed to a new output on the “Development of a legally binding framework for the control and management of ships' biofouling to minimize the transfer of invasive aquatic species- a biofouling Convention”. The work on such a convention will commence in 2026 and we expect the process to be a lengthy one- with the Committee allocating two two-year periods to complete the work- meaning that a draft legal document and process for adoption would not likely be finalised until 2029 with ratification to the agreed level then required for the entry-into-force. The current absence of internationally-agreed legislation has meant that some states have taken the initiative to implement domestic legislation to address biofouling. We believe that an international convention should provide a unified framework for addressing biofouling management globally. It should help avoid the patchwork of national regulations that can be discriminatory and impractical for the industry and h