The Merchant Shipping (Ship-to-Ship Transfers) Regulations 2020

Oil transfer licences

8.—(1) Before a harbour authority may obtain an oil transfer licence, the harbour authority must—

(a) determine, in accordance with the procedure in Schedule 1 (initial determination of likely effects on European sites), whether the cargo transfers to be authorised pursuant to the licence would be likely to have a significant effect on any European site; and

(b) apply for the licence to the Secretary of State in accordance with the procedure in Schedule 2 (procedure for grant of an oil transfer licence).

(2) Subject to regulation 9(2) (transitional provisions), in harbour authority waters where—

(a) an oil transfer licence has effect, and

(b) the harbour authority which regulates or manages those harbour authority waters becomes aware of circumstances which render the information provided in the OTL application inaccurate to what is or may be a material extent,

the harbour authority must apply to the Secretary of State for an amended oil transfer licence.

(3) The harbour authority must make the application under paragraph (2) within 3 months of becoming aware of the circumstances referred to in that paragraph.

(4) A harbour authority applying for an amended oil transfer licence must use the procedure in Schedules 1 (initial determination of likely effects on European sites) and 2 (procedure for grant of an oil transfer licence), and for this purpose references in Schedules 1 and 2—

(a) to the oil transfer licence are to be taken as references to the amended oil transfer licence;

(b) to the OTL application are to be taken as references to the application for the amended oil transfer licence; and

(c) to the licence decision are to be taken as references to the decision whether to issue an amended oil transfer licence.

(5) Where a harbour authority applies for an amended oil transfer licence under paragraph (2) the Secretary of State may—

(a) issue an amended oil transfer licence in such terms as the Secretary of State considers appropriate;

(b) decline to issue an amended oil transfer licence, leaving the existing oil transfer licence to continue in effect; or

(c) decline to issue an amended oil transfer licence and revoke the existing oil transfer licence.

(6) If the Secretary of State is satisfied that—

(a) a harbour authority should have made an application under paragraph (2); and

(b) that harbour authority has not made the application within the time period specified in paragraph (3),

the Secretary of State may suspend an oil transfer licence until the application has been made and a decision has been made regarding the action to take as a result of the application.

(7) Where the Secretary of State suspends an oil transfer licence in accordance with paragraph (6), the Secretary of State must immediately give notice of the suspension in writing to the harbour authority.