Intertanko welcomes the agreement reached this week by the IMO’s Member States in revising the implementation schedule for the Ballast Water Management Convention and urges all Governments to adhere to this new schedule. The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) governing body, the Assembly, adopted a Resolution in London that pins the application dates of the Ballast Water Management Convention to the entry into force date. This in effect makes all vessels constructed before the entry into force date ‘existing’ vessels, and allows for the installation of a ballast water management system (BWMS) on such vessels at the first renewal survey following entry into force. At present 38 countries representing 30.3% of the world’s registered tonnage have ratified the Convention.