NSOCC Timeline

The beginning

How and why did the North Sea Operators' Claims Conference start?

The origins of the Conference began with a meeting of several Scandinavian shipping lines and some of their insurers in Kungälv (Göteborg, Sweden) on March the 30^th 1976

Two side meetings related but not properly "NSOCC" were held later at London: 2^nd June 1976 - North Sea Club Conference and 8^th June 1976 - Harmonisation Freight Conference.

The architect of the conference and founder member was Max Slotte, working in those days for Tor Line. The conference was his brainchild approaching and enrolling the other founder members.

Max Slotte has a lifetime in shipping business since 1953:

1953-1967 Seagoing career, starting as a deckhand in old steamers to chief officer in liner trade.
1963 Master Mariner from the Nautical College of the Åland Islands
1967 LL.B. at the University of Stockholm and thereafter service as a court clerk
1969-1982 In-house lawyer Tor Line AB
1976 North Sea Operators' Claims Conference
1982-1989 Lagerlöf & Leman, Dr. Philip Lemans Advokatbyrå AB
1989-2015 Setterwalls Advokatbyrå
2015 Advokatfirman Morris AB (Morris Law), Senior Counsel

This first meeting “of the not yet nsocc” was called on March the 30^th 1976 for the establishment of rules for settlement of claims in respect of 'Articles of Transport' as an attempt to introduce uniformity in documentation between all operators on the North Sea, thus aiding and simplifying both insurance contracts and claims handling.

The Lines represented at this first meeting were: The Broström Group, Fred Olsen & Co, Roto Line AB, Svea Line AB, Sveriges Ångfartygs Assurans Förening and Tor Line AB.

After that first meeting, another fundamental gathering took place on October the 11^th and 12^th 1976 - known as the 0 NSOCC - where additional participants were DFDS A/S, Ellerman Lines Ltd., Assuranceforeningen GARD, AB Indemnitas, North Sea Ferries, Assuranceforeningen SKULD and Wallhamn AB.

A third meeting followed in 1977 in Ipswich from September the 12^th to the 14^th - now the First Session or 1 NSOCC where the name North Sea Operators’ Claims Conference was adopted by

Mr Åke Thor, Sveriges Ångfartygs Assurans Förening (Goteborg)
Mr Allan Rogerson, Roto Line Ltd. (Felixstowe)
Mr Arnfinn Johnsen, Assuranceforeningen GARD (Arendal)
Mr Björn Elfström, AB Indemnitas (Stockholm)
Mr D V Robinson, Ellerman Lines Ltd. (Hull)
Mr Edward Davison, North Sea Ferries Ltd. (Hull)
Mr Fredrik von Wachenfeldt, Stena Line AB (Göteborg)
Mr G E Scheel, PH Mathiesen & Co Ltd. (Newcastle)
Mr Göran Berger, Stena Line (Göteborg) AB (Göteborg)
Mr Gunnar Topland, Assuranceforeningen GARD (Arendal)
Mr Jan Torkildsen, Det Bergenske Dampskibsselskab (Bergen)
Mr John Potts, The United Kingdom Mutual Assurance Association (Bermuda) Ltd. (London)
Mr Kaj Bech-Nielsen, DFDS (UK) Ltd. (Harwich)
Mr Lars Eriksen, Svea Line AB (Göteborg)
Mr Lars Lagerlind, Sessan Line (Göteborg)
Mr Laurie S Allen, Tor Line Ltd. (Immingham)
Mr Lennart Nävergård, Roto Line AB (Wallhamn)
Mr Lennart Obstfelder, Tor Line AB (Göteborg)
Mr Magnus Jakobsson, Assuranceforeningen SKULD AB (Stockholm)
Mr Max Slotte, Tor Line AB (Göteborg)
Mr Per Nilsson, Roto Line AB (Wallhamn)
Mr Svein Ueland, Assuranceforeningen SKULD (Oslo)
Mr Ulf Kollbratt, Sessan Line (Göteborg)

and the Conference has taken place annually since, with the number of participant companies and members growing gradually from 14 to around 50 today.

The Conference progress

Session / Year	Location (Country) [Host]	Major Highlights
0 / 1976 Oct 11/12	Kungälv (Sweden) [Tor Line]	Guidelines for the settlement of claims - The Blue Card*.
1 / 1977 Sept 12/14	Ipswich (UK) [Tor Line]	Uniform condition reports. Trade cars guidelines. The name for the conference was adopted: North Sea Operators’ Claims Conference
2 / 1978 Oct 11/13	Fanø (Denmark) [Tor Line]	First draft of the North Sea Standard Conditions of Carriage. This was considered, and still is, a first as no other organisation in the North Sea and Baltic areas had, or still has, produced any other standard conditions.
3 / 1979 Nov 7/9	Rockanje (Netherland) [Tor Line]	Production of the North Sea Standard Conditions of Carriage.
4 / 1980 Oct 15/17	Sandefjord (Norway) [Tor Line]	Adoption of NSSCC, with amendments to clauses 4, 11, 12, 17, 21.
5 / 1981 Oct 13/15	"Peter Pan" Travemünde (Germany-Sweden) [ITLinie]	Rules relating to passengers and passengers' belongings and vehicles on board cargo ferries. The TOR MERCIA case from Sweden's Supreme Court. The duty of the shipper to examine the article of transport before loading in cases where the Line has supplied the article of transport. Rules regarding liens on goods as well as goods in articles of transport. Shipper's right to set-off for alleged damage or loss against freight payable. Problems for the carrier in holding liable a party responsible for damage or loss in combined transport operations. Mr. Slotte expressed his desire to relinquish his position as Chairman owing to the uncertainty of his future committments. Mr. Davison proposed that the chair should in future be held by the representative of whichever member hosted a meeting. Mr. Kuusniemi was therefore proposed as Chairman in 1982, and he accepted the appointment, which was unanimously approved by the meeting.
6 / 1982 Sept 7/9	"MS Finlandia" (Sweden-Finland) [Effoa]	Stevedoring liability regimes in various countries. Permanent conference Secretariat formed. General liability clause produced for inclusion in stevedoring contracts.
7 / 1983 Sept 20/22	Antwerp (Belgium) [Marine Claims Bureau]	NSSCC presented to the ICC for approval.
8 / 1984 Sept 19/21	"MS Kronprinsessan Victoria" (Sweden-Germany) [Stena]	Beginning of discussions on jurisdiction clauses.
9 / 1985 Oct 10/11	Ch. de Maffliers Val d'Oise (France) [CGM]	Blue card amended. NSSCC Clauses 11, 13 & 17 amended. Drafting of a standard set of clauses for Passenger conditions commenced.
10 / 1986 Oct 1/3	Brockenhurst (UK) [United Baltic]	Discussion on the carriage of dangerous goods. Discussion on the exercise of lien in multimodal transport.
11 / 1987 Oct 7/9	"MS Dana Gloria" (Denmark-Norway) [DFDS]	Final amendment to NSSCC and the inclusion of dangerous goods clauses as per IMGD completed for issue as 1 January 1988 version.
12 / 1988 Oct 5/7	Vlissingen (Netherland) [ITLinie/Olau]	Dangerous goods clause updated to accord with amendment 24 of IMDG.
13 / 1989 Oct 9/11	Bergen (Norway) [Nor Cargo]	Max Slotte retired as Secretary of the Conference, after 15 years of service. Discussion on the Hamburg Rules.North Sea Standard Conditions of Carriage. Law and Jurisdiction Clause in the Standard Conditions of Carriage. C.M.R. Convention. Salvage Operations. The position of Vice-Chairman to the conference, created.
14 / 1990 Oct 16/18	"MS Hamburg" (Germany-UK) [DFDS]	Position of the Chairman & Secretary, made permanent. Vice-Chairman position, made re-electable.
15 / 1991 Oct 15/17	Kiliney (Ireland) [Sealink]	Blue and Yellow cards revised.
16 / 1992 Sept 21/23	"MS Silja Serenade" (Sweden-Finland) [Finncarriers]	NSOCC Ties and Scarves made available for delegates. Law and Jurisdiction clause amendments unanimously rejected as a standard. Individual members may use modified versions of NSSCC providing NSSCC not stated.
17 / 1993 Sept 20/22	"MS Danielle Casanova" (France-Corsica) [CGM]	Criteria for conference membership established, to include any retired Conference member.
18 / 1994 Oct 10/12	Newcastle (UK) [North of England P &I]	Working party to amend NSSCC in line with the new Nordic Maritime Code. (See appendix 2 for the amended version). John Nicholls appointed as Vice-Chairman.
19 / 1995 Sept 11/13	Oslo (Norway) [Fred Olsen & Co]	NSSCC amended to incorporate Nordic Maritime Codes, amendment 27 of IMDG and Time Bar in combined transport reduced from 11 to 9 months in line with 1995 version of Combiconbill. Lapel badges/Scarf pins available for the first time.
20 / 1996 Oct 7/9	Luxembourg (Luxembourg) [West of England Ins Srvs]	Discussion on a requested modification of clause 7.2 (deck Cargo) of NSSCC. No change recommended. Update of Incorporation clause for Non-negotiable waybills to include applicable law (Nordic Maritime Codes). Mike Stamford retired as Joint Vice-Chairman of Conference
21 / 1997 Sept 29/Oct1	Rotterdam (Netherlands) [Post & Co (P & I) BV & Stena Line (Holland) BV]	Barry McGee and Marion Hall, Andrew Weir Shipping, retired as Chairman and Secretary at the end of the Conference. John Nicholls and Sally Brice, Through Transport Mutual Services Ltd. U.K., elected as Chairman and Secretary. Discussion on Gencon 94 and the law as applied in Belgium. Presentation from round the world yacht's persons ("Toshiba Wave Warrior"). Per Kristiansson, Tor Line AB, elected Vice-Chairman.
22 / 1998 Sept 28/30	Cardiff (Wales) [Andrew Weir Shipping Ltd]	The need to update the Blue Card was identified. Working party to present new draft document at 1999 conference. Request for discussion on Carriers Liability Act (immigration).
23 / 1999 Sept 27/29	Lubeck (Germany) [TTLine GmbH)	Approval of revised Blue and Yellow card.
24 / 2000 Sept 18/20	Oxford (UK) [Thomas Cooper & Stibbard]	Revising the North Sea Standard Conditions of Carriage.
25 / 2001 Sept 17/19	Göteborg (Sweden) [DFDS Tor Line A/S]	1. Shipping & claims handling in an electronic environment 2. Mediation
26 / 2002 Sept 23/25	Antwerp (Belgium) [TT Club]	1. The problem of stowaways (P. Bartolo). 2. Changes in Intermodal Transport. 3. Suing under a bill of lading / jurisdiction.
27 / 2003 Sept 15/17	Copenhagen (Denmark) [Scandlines & SKULD]	1. Latest update on CMR. 2. Clarification ISPS Code / Port Security, the EU-view. John Nicholls retired as Chairman. Thomas Bjorn Larsen (SKULD - Copenhagen) elected.
28 / 2004 Sept 27/29	St. Malo (France) [Holman Fenwick & Willan]	Overview of the ISPS Code: ISPS Practical Problems for Ships. Port Security Crew and Third Parties. ISPS and Charter Parties, Special Regimes for US and Canadian Cargo. P&I Aspects. Multi-modal Carriage and ISPS. ISPS and Sea-going Hooligan (Oil / ballast / bunker pollution at sea). Aida Kleinitz Schultz, Conference Secretary. NSOCC Managing Board is established: Thomas Bjorn Larsen (SKULD - Copenhagen) as Chairman, Kirsten Gade (Scandlines - Copenhagen) & Adry Poelmans (Van Doosselaere Advocaten - Antwerpen) as Board members and Andres Sanchez-Marin as Manager, NSOCC Treasurer (Hamburg).
29 / 2005 Oct 3/5	Edinburgh (Scotland) [UK Mutual Steam Ship Association (Bermuda) Ltd] [Brodies Solicitors, Edinburgh] [Henderson Boyd Jackson]	The changing world of short sea transport, the contractual matrixes that operators are faced with, liability regimes that shift from mode of transport and from country to country.
30 / 2006 Sept 25/27	Brugge (Belgium) [Cobelfret]	Update on developments in the Uncitral work on a door-to-Door Convention. Logistics Contracts, Insurance possibilities beyond ordinary liability, Insurance for carriage, limitation of liability and related issues. Customs law in Europe, carriers' liability for Customs & Excise
31 / 2007 Sept 24/26	Bristol (UK) [West of England Ins Srvs]	The new Budapest convention on inland navigation. Personal injuries: crew, passengers, stevedores. Amendments to SOLAS 2006. Risk management: customer and provider perspectives. Modern dispute resolution
32 / 2008 Sept 21/24	Palanga (Lithuania) [DFDS]	The Bunkers convention. The Maritime Legal environment in Lithuania. The Uncitral Convention - A new regime likely to do away with The Hague Visby Rules. Panel discussion on the interplay of insurers.
33 / 2009 Nov 23/25	Hamburg (Germany) [SKULD Germany GMBH]	New developments in English insurance law, the role of the broker. Potential unlimited liabilities in bailment for “unintended goods”. Rotterdam Rules again and their compatibility with the North Sea Conditions of Carriage. NSOCC Blue and Yellow Card suggested changes. Blue Card / Green Card, Working group. Reefer Cargoes on vessels and the role of a surveyor acting for clubs and owners on Ro Ro casualties.
34 / 2010 Sept 13/15	“MS Nordnorge” Hurtigruten, Bergen (Norway) [Gard]	Securing of Cargo in Different Transport Modes. Ro Ro Operators' Liability for Goods Received on Terminal, also re. Rotterdam Rules. Blue Card / Green Card, working group, headed by Mr. Michel Vandenbroucke, reporting. Future of Conference. The Chairman, requesting input from delegates, how the conference should be shaped in the future: more of the same, evolution or revolution?
35 / 2011 Sept 19/21	Rotterdam (Netherlands) [Post & Co (P&I) B.V. / Transfennica / Van Harmelen Beijneveld Van Houten Adv.]	European Regulations and Transport. From Short Sea Shipping to Short Multimodal Transport. Claims and Liability Issues. Limitation of Liability - New issues. Container stacking problems in Shortsea. eCustoms and transport.
36 / 2012 Sept 3/5	Newcastle (UK) [North of England P &I]	Marine Accident Prevention. Bridge Team Management. Passenger Incidents and Disorder on board: A Legal Framework. From the NSOCC Managing Board: Thomas Bjørn Larsen (Skuld Germany GmbH - Hamburg) retired as Chairman. Andy Macrow (West of England - London) elected Chairman. Martynas Jonkus (AB DFDS Seaways - Klaipëda) elected vice-Chairman. Adry Poelmans (Van Doosselaere Advocaten - Antwerpen) retired from the Board. Jakob Gjølbo (Legalink Danmark - Copenhagen) elected in his place.
37 / 2013 Sept 2/4	Göteborg (Sweden) [Stena Line AB]	Anti-competition issues. Maritime Resource Management. Claims in respect of temperature-controlled cargo. Impact of the Jackson Reforms. Consequential loss issues. Unlimited liability for Terminals in direct actions. Passenger issues arising from the PLR regime and EU Regulations on Passenger Rights.
38 / 2014 Sept 8/9	Copenhagen (Denmark) [Gorrissen Federspiel]	Dealing with a major casualty – a case study based on “LISCO GLORIA”. Passenger Compensation Claims. Wreck Removal update: The Nairobi Convention. Pilot Error. NSOCC issues: a) Green Card Problems – time for a change: is the future purple? b) Web-site c) NSOCC 2015. From the NSOCC Managing Board: Kirsten Gade (Scandlines - Copenhagen) leaves the board.
39 / 2015 Sept 28/29	Chatham (UK) [West of England Insurance Services (Luxembourg) S.A.]	The new BIMCO Ropaxtime Charter Party. Transporting goods that require refrigerated and/or atmosphere-controlled trailers or containers. Discussion of the relative powers of the MAIB and the MCA in the investigation of UK maritime incidents. Costs and its control of wreck removal. Heavy Weather claims. Update on the OW Bunkers bankruptcy case. Claims arising from “Fear of Loss”. Personal Injury. Analysis of collisions using the concerned vessels’ VDR data. Background of the NORMAN ATLANTIC casualty. Problems that can arise due to Government intervention in dealing with casualties. Lloyds Open Form system for determining salvage awards. From the NSOCC Managing Board: Jens Mathiasen (Gorrissen Federspiel - Copenhagen) steps on as member of the board.
40 / 2016 Oct 3/4	Antwerp (Belgium) [AON Risk Solutions, Rotterdam]	NSOCC 40th Session. Newbuilding risks. Common issues in shipbuilding contract disputes. GA – You couldn’t make it up!. Antwerp Maritime Academy - Hogere Zeevaartschool Antwerpen: Navigation simulator. Off-spec bunkers, Practical problems, Legal issues. The role of CCTV in collection evidence on terminals & ships, Practical problems, Legal issues. Specific liability and compensation regimes for pollution damage - Speaking as a general rule…? Ro-Ro vessel external aerodynamics and consequences for cargo. Collision reconstruction and simulation.
41 / 2017 Oct 9/11	MS CROWN SEAWAYS, Copenhagen-Oslo [DFDS Seaways]	The Customer Journey. Protecting the bottom line. Battling Cargo Claimants in Germany – Oddities and Pitfalls. Reefer Cargo Claims. Autonomous vessel, cyber security and casualty response. The Fram Museum, Norwegian polar exploration. Autonomous vessel, insurance issues. Water Ballast Management Convention, practical implications. From tort to court: an overview of law and procedure on passenger injury and illness claims. "NORMAN ATLANTIC" - An Update.
42 / 2018 Oct 8/9	Helsinki (Finland) [Finnlines Oyj]	Heavy Weather Defences. Cargo securing in CTUs and securing of CTUs/cargo onboard. Athens Convention: Shipowners’ liabilities – start & finish?. Casualty workshop. NOMA: The Nordic Offshore & Maritime Association. Digitalisation. Panel discussion: The Hague-Visby Rules, the Nordic Code & the German Code – conflict and comparison. From the NSOCC Managing Board: Andy Macrow (West of England - London) retired as Chairman. Rune Dybedal (The North of England P&I Association Limited - Newcastle upon Thyne) elected Chairman.
43 / 2019 Oct 7/8	Ipswich (UK) [Birketts LLP]	Key Points for Defending Cargo Claims under English Law. Salvage Sale of Cargo. Everything you ever wanted to know about Liens. Personal Injury Claims. Passenger Rights. Stowaways - Security Removal. Reefer Temperature Logs and Claims Following Shipment of Fruit & Vegetables in Temperature Controlled Trailers / Containers. Post-Harvest problems with Fruit & Vegetables. Port of Ipswich Operation.
44 / 2022 Oct 10/12	“MS Color Magic” (Oslo-Kiel) [Color Line. Sartori & Berger]	Division of liabilities between P&I clubs involving the IG pool and reinsurance. Whether land or sea transport laws will apply to multimodal transport. Overview and status on MIB / MCA UK and the similar in Denmark, MIB and Police. Ships arrests in Norway. The Stockholm agreement and other regulations applying to stability of ro-ro vessels. Crew fatalities during cargo operations. DEEE’s in the workplace.
45 / 2023 Oct 9/10	Glasgow (Scotland) [Horwich Farrelly Glasgow. Brookes Bell Liverpool]	Lithium-Ion Batteries and the Challenges for Shipping. Conducting a health & safety investigation following a serious incident. Scottish Criminal Court Overview. International comparison of compensation awards. Non-destructive Testing and Corrosion Mapping. Subsea Cable Damage. Crane collapse. Role of the Government on maritime Emergencies.
46 / 2024 Oct 7/8	Amsterdam (The Netherlands) [Dutch P&I. Marine Masters. Dock Legal Experts]	Carriage of electric vehicles: are they putting the fire defence under tension?. Lithium-Ion Batteries - Risks and Mitigations. Casualty Scenario in the North Sea. Conditions of carriage for electric vehicles. MV Fremantle Highway: facing high risks (fire onboard, war zone area’s) from a crew’s perspective” / P&I crew cover for mental illness. The possibilities under Dutch law to obtain evidence (court surveyor) and maybe how to prevent that?
47 / 2025 Sept 29 / Oct 1	Hamburg (Germany) [SKULD Germany. Scandlines Deutschland]	Recourse actions - Developments and thoughts. Passenger liability and crew injury liability under German law. Deutsche Seemannsmision: Role. Church-dealing with local and foreign sailors. Passenger liability and passenger rights. Even playing field?. Critical Infrastructure. Port Security. Hereunder NIS 1 and NIS 2. Smyril Line: Challenges in North Atlantic RoRo and passenger traffic. Plans for the future. An introduction of the CCME and its role in maritime emergencies. Sea-Cargo: experience with Rotor Sails and alternative propulsion. Scandlines: From Heavy fuel to Rotor Sails & Hybrid / Battery propulsion across the Baltic.

Our members

The membership of North Sea Operators’ Claims Conference is chiefly made up of ship owners operating on the North Sea, the Baltic or Irish Sea.

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The benefits of being part of the NSOCC are immeasurable, as a group the knowledge and experience is second to none.

Andy MacrowWest of England Insurance Services (Luxembourg) S.A.