On 1 January 2017 the Facilitation Convention was amended to provide for exchange of FAL data electronically from 8 April 2019. The amendments provide for a transition period of 12 months during which paper and electronic documentation co-exist for FAL documents.
The amendments provide that consideration should also be given to such a Single Window serving as the mechanism through which the public authorities communicate decisions and other information covered by this Convention in connection with the arrival, stay and departure of ships, persons and cargo.
The documents in question are:
General Declaration
Cargo Declaration
Ship’s Stores Declaration
Crew’s Effects Declaration
Crew List
Passenger List
Dangerous Goods Manifest
The document required under the Universal Postal Convention for mail
Maritime Declaration of Health
Security-related information as required under SOLAS regulation XI-2/9.2.2
Advance electronic cargo information for customs risk assessment purposes
Advanced Notification Form for Waste Delivery to Port Reception Facilities, when
communicated to the Organization.
The amendments only affect FAL documents and not the certificates of liability insurance under the CLC, the Nairobi Wreck Removal Convention, the Bunker Oil Pollution Convention. These must be carried on board vessels as paper certificates.