The MASS code on autonomous shipping: Evolution and legal implications
(2024) JURM02 20241Department of Law
Faculty of Law
- Abstract (Swedish)
- Sjöfartsindustrin står för närvarande inför ett paradigmskifte i och med framväxandet av Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS). Dessa fartyg är
utformade för att verka autonomt, utan mänsklig närvaro ombord. Den nuvarande rättsliga strukturen inom sjörätten bygger emellertid på antagandet att
människor befinner sig ombord på fartygen, vilket har lett till uppkomsten av
rättsliga frågor och osäkerheter i samband med denna nya teknologi.
För att hantera dessa utmaningar initierade Internationella sjöfartsorganisationen (IMO) 2017 ett arbete med att utveckla en kodifikation som syftar till
att fylla de rättsliga luckor som uppstår genom användandet av MASS. Denna
nya kodifikation, som för närvarande endast är ett utkast, avser att... (More) - Sjöfartsindustrin står för närvarande inför ett paradigmskifte i och med framväxandet av Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS). Dessa fartyg är
utformade för att verka autonomt, utan mänsklig närvaro ombord. Den nuvarande rättsliga strukturen inom sjörätten bygger emellertid på antagandet att
människor befinner sig ombord på fartygen, vilket har lett till uppkomsten av
rättsliga frågor och osäkerheter i samband med denna nya teknologi.
För att hantera dessa utmaningar initierade Internationella sjöfartsorganisationen (IMO) 2017 ett arbete med att utveckla en kodifikation som syftar till
att fylla de rättsliga luckor som uppstår genom användandet av MASS. Denna
nya kodifikation, som för närvarande endast är ett utkast, avser att definiera
ansvarsområden och lösa praktiska problem som uppstår vid användningen
av den nya teknologin. Kodifikationen syftar även till att säkerställa att riskerna förknippade med denna nya teknologi minimeras. Utvecklingen av kodifikationen har skett inom ramen för IMO:s struktur och har, bland annat,
involverat bidrag från stater, internationella organisationer, privata företag
och experter inom området. Under kodifikationens utveckling har en omfattande mängd synpunkter och material rörande de rättsliga implikationerna av
MASS presenterats, främst i samband med möten i ”Maritime Safety Committe”, som har varit den primära drivkraften bakom kodifikationens framåtskridande.
Denna uppsats undersöker den framväxande MASS-kodifikationen, relevant
material sammanhörande till kodifikationen samt de implikationer som övergången från bemannade till obemannade autonoma fartyg medför. Särskilt
fokus är riktat på hur väl de nuvarande sjörättsliga lagarna är kompatibla med
denna nya teknologi samt den kommande kodifikationens effektivitet. Slutsatserna visar att det nuvarande rättsliga ramverket i viss utsträckning kan
inrymma autonoma fartyg, även om vissa aspekter kräver betydande förtydliganden. Vidare framhåller uppsatsen att kraven i den nya kodifikationen bör
utformas med en prestationsbaserad utgångspunkt, vilket möjliggör användningen av olika lösningar och minimerar risken för att hämma utvecklingen
och användningen av MASS. Sammanfattningsvis konstateras att utkastet till
den nya kodifikationen bör ändras innan den träder ikraft för att säkerställa
att alla aspekter av obemannade och autonoma fartyg hanteras effektivt. (Less) - Abstract
- The shipping industry is currently at the beginning of a transformative shift with the introduction of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS). With MASS, ships will function without the need for humans onboard. However, the current legal framework within maritime law is built on the premise that humans are in fact onboard ships. Therefore, legal questions and uncertainties have risen alongside this new technology.
To tackle this issue, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) set out in 2017 to develop a code, with the aim of covering the legal gaps created in the framework by the introduction of MASS. The MASS code, currently in a draft state, aims to define responsibilities and solve practical issues arising from the use of the... (More) - The shipping industry is currently at the beginning of a transformative shift with the introduction of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS). With MASS, ships will function without the need for humans onboard. However, the current legal framework within maritime law is built on the premise that humans are in fact onboard ships. Therefore, legal questions and uncertainties have risen alongside this new technology.
To tackle this issue, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) set out in 2017 to develop a code, with the aim of covering the legal gaps created in the framework by the introduction of MASS. The MASS code, currently in a draft state, aims to define responsibilities and solve practical issues arising from the use of the new technology, whilst also seeing to that the risks adhering to the introduction of this new technology are mitigated. The code has been de- veloped within the IMO’s framework with input from, among other parties, states, international organisations, private companies, and experts within the field. In the development of the code, a large quantity of opinions and material concerning the legal implications of MASS has been presented. This has mainly been in connection with the sessions of the Maritime Safety Commit- tee (MSC), which has been the main actor in driving the development of the code forward.
This thesis examines the emerging MASS code, material relevant to it, and the implications of a transition from manned to unmanned autonomous ships, specifically focusing on the compatibility of current maritime laws and the effectiveness of the code. The conclusions drawn show that the current legal framework largely accommodates autonomous vessels within their respective regulatory instruments, although certain aspects need significant clarification. Furthermore, the thesis states that the code should shape its regulations with a performance-based approach, enabling the use of various solutions and min- imising the risk of obstructing the development and use of MASS. In conclu- sion, it is stated that the draft code should be amended before its entry into force to ensure that all aspects of autonomous and unmanned ships are han- dled efficiently. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9153363
- author
- Milger, David LU
- supervisor
- organization
- course
- JURM02 20241
- year
- 2024
- type
- H3 - Professional qualifications (4 Years - )
- subject
- keywords
- Maritime Law, Transport Law, Sjörätt, Transporträtt, Autonomous shipping
- language
- English
- id
- 9153363
- date added to LUP
- 2024-06-12 13:40:22
- date last changed
- 2024-06-12 13:40:22
@misc{9153363,
abstract = {{The shipping industry is currently at the beginning of a transformative shift with the introduction of Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS). With MASS, ships will function without the need for humans onboard. However, the current legal framework within maritime law is built on the premise that humans are in fact onboard ships. Therefore, legal questions and uncertainties have risen alongside this new technology.
To tackle this issue, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) set out in 2017 to develop a code, with the aim of covering the legal gaps created in the framework by the introduction of MASS. The MASS code, currently in a draft state, aims to define responsibilities and solve practical issues arising from the use of the new technology, whilst also seeing to that the risks adhering to the introduction of this new technology are mitigated. The code has been de- veloped within the IMO’s framework with input from, among other parties, states, international organisations, private companies, and experts within the field. In the development of the code, a large quantity of opinions and material concerning the legal implications of MASS has been presented. This has mainly been in connection with the sessions of the Maritime Safety Commit- tee (MSC), which has been the main actor in driving the development of the code forward.
This thesis examines the emerging MASS code, material relevant to it, and the implications of a transition from manned to unmanned autonomous ships, specifically focusing on the compatibility of current maritime laws and the effectiveness of the code. The conclusions drawn show that the current legal framework largely accommodates autonomous vessels within their respective regulatory instruments, although certain aspects need significant clarification. Furthermore, the thesis states that the code should shape its regulations with a performance-based approach, enabling the use of various solutions and min- imising the risk of obstructing the development and use of MASS. In conclu- sion, it is stated that the draft code should be amended before its entry into force to ensure that all aspects of autonomous and unmanned ships are han- dled efficiently.}},
author = {{Milger, David}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{The MASS code on autonomous shipping: Evolution and legal implications}},
year = {{2024}},
}