Paris MoU 2025 Performance lists

July 4 ------ The Paris MoU Committee approved the 2025 inspection results at its 59th meeting and adopted the new performance lists for flag States and Recognized Organizations.

The updated lists will be used from 1 July 2026 and remain valid until 6 July 2027. They provide an overview of flag and RO performance based on inspection and detention data recorded over a three-year rolling period.

WGB List reflects flag performance over 2023–2025

The White, Grey and Black (WGB) List presents the full spectrum of flag performance, ranging from quality flags to flags with poor performance, which are considered higher risk under the Paris MoU port State control regime. The list is based on the total number of inspections and detentions during the period 2023–2025, covering flags with at least 30 inspections during that period.

According to the 2025 results, 40 flags are included in the White List. The top-performing flags are Cayman Islands, Sweden, Norway, Denmark and Japan, followed by Singapore, France, Finland, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. Among high-volume flags, Liberia recorded 6,319 inspections and 276 detentions, while the Marshall Islands recorded 5,166 inspections and 167 detentions. Panama recorded 5,731 inspections and 338 detentions, remaining on the White List, while Malta recorded 3,637 inspections and 101 detentions.

Meanwhile, 19 flags appear on the Grey List. These include the Republic of Korea, Lithuania, Latvia, India, Morocco, San Marino, Algeria, Sierra Leone, Thailand, the Russian Federation, Lebanon, the Philippines, Egypt, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Cook Islands, Albania, Bangladesh, Tuvalu and Tunisia.

Ten flags included in the Black List

The Black List includes 10 flags, reflecting weaker performance and higher detention levels over the three-year period. These are Saint Kitts and Nevis, Palau, Togo, Guinea-Bissau, Belize, Vanuatu, Viet Nam, Comoros, Tanzania and Cameroon.

The list further classifies black-listed flags by risk level. Saint Kitts and Nevis, Palau, Togo and Guinea-Bissau are listed as medium risk, while Belize, Vanuatu and Viet Nam fall under the medium-to-high risk category. Comoros, Tanzania and Cameroon are classified as very high risk. Cameroon recorded the highest excess factor in the Black List, at 7.14, followed by Tanzania with 6.55 and Comoros with 4.99.

RO performance: Most major class societies rated high

The Paris MoU also adopted the 2025 Recognized Organization performance table, covering the same three-year rolling period from 2023 to 2025. The table takes into account only Recognized Organizations with 60 or more inspections during the three-year period. The formula used is identical to that of the WGB List, although the values are adjusted for RO performance assessment.

Several major classification societies are listed as high-performing, including American Bureau of Shipping, DNV, Korean Register, Lloyd’s Register, Bureau Veritas, RINA, ClassNK, China Classification Society, Polski Rejestr Statków, Russian Maritime Register of Shipping and Intermaritime Certification Services. Among them, DNV recorded the highest number of inspections, with 18,350 inspections and 26 detentions, followed by Bureau Veritas with 12,261 inspections and 31 detentions, and Lloyd’s Register

A number of ROs are classified as medium-performing, while Hellas Naval Bureau of Shipping is listed under the low-performance category. The “Other” category is also rated low, recording 342 inspections and 35 detentions.

PSC implications for ship operators

The updated lists are an important reference point for shipowners, managers, charterers and other maritime stakeholders, as flag and RO performance can influence a vessel’s inspection profile under the Paris MoU risk-based targeting system.

For ship managers, the results reinforce the need to monitor PSC performance not only at vessel level, but also in relation to flag, class and historical detention trends. Vessels operating under lower-performing flags or associated with lower-performing ROs may face closer scrutiny during port State control inspections. "The new lists will apply from 1 July 2026, supporting the Paris MoU’s ongoing efforts to promote safety, environmental compliance and consistent enforcement across its member States."

Source: safety4sea.com