⚓ Which event types are mandatory for my ship?
The event types you need to report depend on your ship's gross tonnage (GT), ship type, trading area and the regulations that apply. Vessel.Report supports reporting for multiple EU, UK and IMO environmental regulations. If more than one regulation applies to your ship, your reporting must cover all applicable requirements. This means that even if a particular event is not mandatory under one regulation, it may still be necessary under another.
💡 Important: Regulations generally specify which information must be monitored and reported, rather than which event buttons must be used in Vessel.Report. The event types help collect the necessary information and maintain a consistent reporting history.
🌍 Which regulations apply to my ship?
The following table provides an overview of the main reporting requirements.
| Ship category | Applicable regulations |
|---|---|
| 5,000 GT and above – Cargo and Passenger Ships | IMO DCS, CII (applicable ship types), EU MRV, EU ETS, FuelEU Maritime and UK ETS, depending on trading area |
| 5,000 GT and above – Offshore Ships | IMO DCS where applicable, EU MRV, UK ETS from July 2026 scope expansion (offshore inclusion from January 2027), and EU ETS from 2027 |
| 400–4,999 GT – General Cargo Ships | EU MRV since 1 January 2025 when operating within its geographical scope |
| 400–4,999 GT – Offshore Ships | EU MRV since 1 January 2025 when operating within its geographical scope |
| 400–4,999 GT – Other Ship Types | Generally outside the listed IMO DCS, EU MRV, EU ETS, FuelEU and UK ETS requirements |
| Below 400 GT | Generally outside the above emission-reporting requirements |
Please note:
- IMO DCS: Applies to ships of 5,000 GT and above under MARPOL Annex VI.
- CII: Applies to relevant ship types of 5,000 GT and above.
- EU MRV: Also covers general cargo and offshore ships from 400 GT since 2025.
- EU ETS: Applies to commercial cargo and passenger ships of 5,000 GT and above, with offshore ships of this size joining in 2027.
- FuelEU Maritime: Generally applies to commercial cargo and passenger ships above 5,000 GT calling at EU/EEA ports.
- UK ETS: Applies to eligible domestic maritime activities by ships of 5,000 GT and above since 1 July 2026. Offshore ships join on 1 January 2027.
The exact applicability can depend on the ship's operation and regulatory exemptions.
🚢 Which events should I always report?
For ships subject to IMO DCS, the following four events form the recommended minimum reporting sequence for a normal sea voyage.
🚢 1. Departure
Record the Departure event whenever the ship leaves its berth.
Why is it important?
- Identifies the beginning of a voyage.
- Records the actual departure date and time.
- Supports the allocation of fuel consumption and emissions between voyages and port stays.
- Essential for correct EU MRV, EU ETS, FuelEU and UK ETS voyage identification.
🌊 2. Begin of Sea Passage (BOSP)
Record BOSP when the ship begins its sea passage, normally corresponding to Full Ahead on Passage (FAOP).
Why is it important?
- Identifies the beginning of the ship's under-way period.
- Supports the calculation of hours under way and distance travelled.
- Particularly important for IMO DCS reporting.
The updated IMO SEEMP guidance defines the under-way period using FAOP/BOSP and EOSP.
🌊 3. End of Sea Passage (EOSP)
Record EOSP when the ship finishes its sea passage.
Why is it important?
- Identifies the end of the under-way period.
- Supports the calculation of hours under way and distance travelled.
- Helps distinguish sea passage from subsequent manoeuvring and port operations.
- Particularly important for IMO DCS reporting.
🚢 4. Arrival
Record the Arrival event when the ship reaches its berth.
Why is it important?
- Identifies the end of a voyage.
- Records the actual arrival date and time.
- Establishes the transition from voyage to port stay.
- Essential for correct EU MRV, EU ETS, FuelEU and UK ETS voyage identification.
✅ Recommended reporting sequence
🚢 Departure → 🌊 Begin of Sea Passage → 🌊 End of Sea Passage → 🚢 Arrival
💡 Important: Departure/Arrival and BOSP/EOSP describe different operational boundaries. EU and UK reporting generally relies on port-to-port voyage boundaries, whereas IMO DCS also requires the correct identification of the ship's under-way period.
⚓ Which events are mandatory only when they occur?
Some events do not occur on every voyage. They should be recorded whenever they are applicable and relevant to the ship's regulatory or company reporting requirements.
⚓ Start / End Anchorage
Report anchorage periods whenever the ship anchors.
Why is it important?
- Helps distinguish anchorage from navigation and berth operations.
- Supports the correct calculation of time spent at sea under EU MRV.
- Helps allocate fuel consumption and emissions to the correct operational period.
For UK ETS, anchorage can form part of a domestic voyage depending on the circumstances and location.
🌊 Start / End Drifting
Report drifting periods whenever the ship stops actively proceeding on its voyage and drifts.
Why is it important?
- Helps explain changes in speed, distance and fuel consumption.
- Provides an accurate operational history.
- Supports data quality and performance analysis.
The treatment of drifting for regulatory calculations depends on the applicable definitions and monitoring methodology.
🚧 Start / End Canal Passage
Record canal passages whenever applicable.
Why is it important?
- Allows canal transit time to be identified separately.
- Supports the correct calculation of hours under way under IMO DCS.
- Provides additional information about manoeuvring and fuel consumption.
Under the IMO SEEMP guidance, canal passages are considered not under way due to frequent manoeuvring, acceleration and deceleration.
🧊 Start / End Sailing Through Ice
Record these events whenever the ship navigates through ice conditions.
Why is it important?
- Provides evidence of navigation in ice conditions.
- Supports the identification of fuel consumption and distance travelled in ice.
- Particularly relevant when claiming applicable ice adjustments under FuelEU Maritime or CII.
If an ice adjustment is claimed, the necessary supporting information must be recorded according to the relevant regulation.
⚡ Shore Power
Report Shore Power whenever the ship uses electricity supplied from shore.
Why is it important?
- Records the use of on-shore power supply (OPS).
- Supports FuelEU Maritime monitoring.
- Helps distinguish onboard-generated energy from externally supplied electricity.
🛢️ Start / End STS Operation (Ship-to-Ship for shuttle tanker only)
Record the beginning and end of Ship-to-Ship (STS) operations when your tanker is engaged in qualifying STS activities.
Why is it important?
- Identifies operational periods associated with STS cargo transfers.
- Supports the allocation of fuel consumption to eligible STS activities and voyages.
- Provides the necessary information to assess an applicable CII correction factor.
Under the IMO CII Guidelines, qualifying tanker STS voyages may benefit from a correction factor covering eligible fuel consumption during cargo transfers, associated voyages, waiting periods and cargo discharge.
A separate CII correction factor is available for qualifying shuttle tankers equipped with dynamic positioning.
💡 Important: These corrections are not automatic exemptions. They apply only when the specific IMO conditions are fulfilled and the necessary operational data is available. The ship must continue reporting its fuel consumption under IMO DCS and comply with other applicable emission regulations.
🛟 Start / End Exempt Emissions – MARPOL VI Reg. 3.1
Use these events when the ship performs an exceptional operation that may qualify for an emissions exception under MARPOL Annex VI, Regulation 3.1.
Example: Search and Rescue (SAR) Operation
A cargo ship receives a distress call from another ship and deviates from its planned route to assist people in danger.
- 🟢 Start Exempt Emissions: When the ship begins the emergency deviation for the rescue operation.
- 🔴 End Exempt Emissions: When the rescue operation has ended and the ship resumes normal commercial operations.
The fuel consumed during the qualifying rescue operation may be eligible for special treatment under MARPOL Annex VI, Regulation 3.1.
Other possible examples:
- Emergency manoeuvres necessary to avoid a collision.
- Operations necessary to secure the safety of the ship.
- Emissions resulting from damage to the ship or its equipment, provided the regulatory conditions are met.
💡 Important: These events must only be used for genuine exceptional circumstances. The reason, duration and associated fuel consumption should be documented, for example in the ship's logbook. Recording these events does not automatically exclude the associated emissions from IMO DCS, CII, EU MRV, EU ETS, UK ETS or FuelEU Maritime calculations. Any adjustment or exclusion must be assessed under the respective regulation.
Routine operations do not automatically qualify for this exception. Bad weather, ordinary route deviations, commercial delays or normal engine maintenance are not, by themselves, grounds for exempt emissions under MARPOL Annex VI, Regulation 3.1.
⏸️ Start / End Offhire
Record offhire periods when required by your company.
Offhire is primarily a commercial and operational status rather than an independent environmental reporting requirement.
However, recording it may help explain unusual operational periods or changes in performance.
💂What do I need to report under UK ETS?
The UK Emissions Trading Scheme (UK ETS) includes domestic maritime activities from 1 July 2026.
It generally applies to ships of 5,000 GT and above, regardless of flag, with offshore ships included from 1 January 2027.
UK ETS covers:
- Domestic voyages: Emissions from eligible voyages between UK ports of call, including voyages returning to the same UK port.
- In-port activities: Emissions during berth stays and movements within UK ports of call, including when the ship is undertaking an international voyage.
- Greenhouse gases: CO₂, CH₄ and N₂O.
International voyage emissions are currently outside the UK ETS maritime voyage scope. Certain activities and ship categories are excluded.
Which events are important for UK ETS?
| Event | Reporting recommendation |
|---|---|
| 🚢 Departure | Essential for identifying voyage boundaries |
| 🚢 Arrival | Essential for identifying voyage boundaries |
| 🌊 BOSP / EOSP | Recommended for a complete reporting history and required for IMO DCS calculations where applicable |
| ⚓ Anchorage | Report when applicable to correctly identify and allocate operational periods |
| 🚢 Port movements | Ensure relevant movements and associated fuel consumption are captured |
| ☀️ Noon Report | Recommended for accurate fuel-consumption monitoring |
Special consideration for Anchorage
Under UK ETS, time spent at anchor, including at an outer anchorage, may be part of a domestic voyage rather than an in-port activity.
Therefore, the location and operational context are important for correctly allocating emissions.
Example:
A 12,000 GT cargo ship sails from Liverpool to Bristol.
The complete domestic voyage falls within UK ETS, including applicable emissions during the voyage and relevant port activities.
If the same ship arrives in Southampton from Singapore, the international voyage is currently outside UK ETS, but emissions from applicable activities within Southampton port remain within scope.
💡 Important: UK ETS does not require a separate set of event types in Vessel.Report. The existing events can document the operational boundaries needed for monitoring. UK ETS monitoring, verification and regulatory submission remain subject to the approved UK ETS monitoring plan and reporting procedures.
☀️ Is a Noon Report mandatory?
A Noon Report is not specifically prescribed as a mandatory event type by EU MRV, EU ETS, FuelEU Maritime, UK ETS or IMO DCS.
However, regular Noon Reports are strongly recommended.
They help to:
- Maintain a continuous reporting history.
- Track fuel consumption and Remaining On Board (ROB).
- Identify missing or inconsistent data.
- Support regulatory reporting and verification.
- Improve voyage and performance analysis.
Your company or approved monitoring procedures may require daily Noon Reports even where the regulations do not explicitly prescribe that reporting frequency.
🧭 What if several regulations apply to my ship?
Always follow the combined reporting requirements of all applicable regulations.
Example 1: 12,000 GT Bulk Carrier
A bulk carrier operating internationally and calling at EU and UK ports may be subject to:
- IMO DCS
- CII
- EU MRV
- EU ETS
- FuelEU Maritime
- UK ETS for eligible UK activities
Recommended reporting:
🚢 Departure → 🌊 BOSP → 🌊 EOSP → 🚢 Arrival
Additional events, such as Anchorage, Drifting, Canal Passage, Shore Power or navigation through ice, should be recorded whenever applicable.
Example 2: 3,000 GT General Cargo Ship
A 3,000 GT general cargo ship calling at EU ports is subject to EU MRV.
However, it is currently outside IMO DCS/CII, FuelEU Maritime, EU ETS and UK ETS based on its gross tonnage.
Minimum voyage events recommended:
🚢 Departure → 🚢 Arrival
BOSP and EOSP are not specifically needed to satisfy IMO DCS because the ship is outside its scope. Nevertheless, the company may require these events to maintain a standard reporting procedure across its fleet.
Example 3: 7,500 GT Passenger Ship Operating Between UK Ports
A passenger ship operating between eligible UK ports may be subject to:
- IMO DCS
- CII, where applicable
- UK ETS
Recommended reporting:
🚢 Departure → 🌊 BOSP → 🌊 EOSP → 🚢 Arrival
Additional events must be recorded whenever relevant.
Qualifying Scottish ferry services are excluded from UK ETS, so the exact applicability must be checked.
📌 Summary: What should I remember?
🚢 Departure and Arrival
Essential voyage boundaries for EU and UK emissions reporting, and recommended for every ship.
🌊 Begin and End of Sea Passage
Particularly important for IMO DCS to identify hours under way and distance travelled.
⚓ Anchorage, Drifting and Canal Passage
Report whenever applicable to provide an accurate operational history and support the correct regulatory calculations.
🧊 Ice Navigation and ⚡ Shore Power
Record whenever relevant, especially when required for FuelEU Maritime or other regulatory adjustments.
☀️ Noon Reports
Strongly recommended for consistent fuel-consumption and ROB monitoring, even though the regulations do not normally prescribe a specific Noon Report event.
👩🏫Our recommendation: Follow the complete reporting sequence and record all relevant operational events, even if your ship is not subject to every regulation. This creates a reliable reporting history that can support multiple regulatory and comercial requirements without maintaining separate datasets.