The Baltic and International Maritime Council (Bimco) has drafted a standard clause addressing the year-2000 compliance obligations of charterers and owners.
'A vessel's year-2000 compliance is essentially a seaworthiness issue - an obligation that is already placed on the owners by the provisions of most voyage and time-charter parties,' Bimco said.
Earlier, it had said there was no legal need for a specific compliance clause because provisions relating to exercise of due diligence in making a vessel seaworthy were included in most voyage and time-charter agreements.
However, in response to requests from members, Bimco produced the clause to pre-empt a proliferation of different, more onerous clauses in charter parties.
The standard clause was developed in co-operation with the International Group of P&I Clubs.
Bimco said use of the year-2000 clause did not extend the owner's liabilities beyond those of the Hague and Hague-Visby Rules.