Reporting of received oil to the International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (IOPC Funds)

Companies covered by the Act (1975:1083) on the obligation to provide information regarding the receipt of oil must submit a report to the Swedish Maritime Administration no later than 1 March each year. The companies that have notified the Swedish Maritime Administration that they are required to report will be contacted by email with a reminder that it is time to report and fill in the report available for the purpose. The Swedish Maritime Administration, in turn, reports the data to the International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (IOPC Funds), which is the final recipient of the data.

Background and purpose of the reporting

The reporting is a consequence of 2 § in Act (1975:1083) on obligation to provide information on the reception of oil (swe: Lagen (1975:1083) om uppgiftsskyldighet rörande mottagande av olja): anyone who has received a total of 150,000 tonnes of oil or more (crude oil and heavy oil, HFO) transported by sea or by other transport, such as pipeline, road or rail, previously shipped by sea from a non-Member State (IOPC), has to report the quantity of the received oil According to the Swedish Maritime Administration, recipients must be interpreted as the company who physically received the oil, regardless of whether this was done on their companies own behalf or on behalf of others.

The International Oil Pollution Compensation Funds (IOPC Funds) provides financial compensation for oil pollution damage that occurs in Member States, resulting from spills of persistent oil from tankers. Sweden has acceded the 1992 Fund Convention and the Supplementary Fund Protocol.

The Swedish Maritime Administration in turn signs the report and sends it to the Oil Pollution Compensation Funds` Secretariat in London and also records the data in the database on the IOPC website. Please find further information on the IOPC Funds website which is linked under “Related links” below.

Financing of the funds

The IOPC Funds are financed by contributions paid by entities that receive certain types of oil by sea transport. These contributions are based on the amount of oil received in the relevant calendar year, and cover expected claims, together with the costs of administering the Funds.

Fees

In the event of delayed reporting, the Swedish Maritime Administration has, in accordance with para 5 of the Act (1975:1083) on the obligation to provide information regarding the reception of oil (swe: Lagen (1975:1083) om uppgiftsskyldighet rörande mottagande av olja), the right, combined with a fine, to collect the information.