NSOCC | North Sea Operators Claims Conference

Origins of the Claims Conference

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

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

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

This first meeting “of the not yet nsocc", the "0 NSOCC 1976 I” was summoned on March the 30^th 1976, the Conference 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.

After that first meeting, a second fundamental gathering took place on October the 11^th and 12^th 1976 in Kungälv, Hotel Fars Hatt, the Second Conference for the establishment of rules for settlement of claims in respect of 'Articles of Transport', - the "0 NSOCC 1976 II"

A Third Conference for the establishment of rules for settlement of claims in respect of 'Articles of Transport' followed in 1977 in Ipswich, The Post House Hotel, London Road from September the 12^th to the 14^th - now the First Session or 1 NSOCC 1977 where the name North Sea Operators’ Claims Conference was agreed by the Founding Members

The Conference has taken place annually since 1976, with the number of participant companies and members growing gradually from 17 to around 50 today.

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The Conference progress

Session / Year	Location (Country) [Host]	Major Highlights
0 / 1976 Oct 11/12	Kungälv (Sweden) [Tor Line]	Chairman: Mr Max Slotte - Tor Line AB Guidelines for the settlement of claims, the Blue Card
1 / 1977 Sept 12/14	Ipswich (UK) [Tor Line]	Chairman: Mr Max Slotte - Tor Line AB 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]	Chairman: Mr Max Slotte - Tor Line AB 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]	Chairman: Mr Max Slotte - Tor Line AB Production of the North Sea Standard Conditions of Carriage
4 / 1980 Oct 15/17	Sandefjord (Norway) [Tor Line]	Chairman: Mr Max Slotte - Tor Line AB Adoption of NSSCC with amendments to clauses 4 11 12 17 and 21
5 / 1981 Oct 13/15	"Peter Pan" Travemünde (Germany-Sweden) [ITLinie]	Chairman: Mr Max Slotte - Tor Line AB - 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 commitments. 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]	Chairman: Mr Ilkka Kuusniemi - Effoa Finska Ångfartygs AB - Stevedoring liability regimes in various countries - General liability clause produced for inclusion in stevedoring contracts.
7 / 1983 Sept 20/22	Antwerp (Belgium) [Marine Claims Bureau]	Chairman: Mr Barry McGee - United Baltic Corporation Ltd. NSSCC presented to the ICC for approval
8 / 1984 Sept 19/21	"MS Kronprinsessan Victoria" (Sweden-Germany) [Stena]	Chairman: Mr Björn Lind - Tor Line AB Beginning of discussions on jurisdiction clauses
9 / 1985 Oct 10/11	Ch. de Maffliers Val d'Oise (France) [CGM]	Chairman: Mr Michael Stamford - Nor-Cargo Ltd. Blue card amended NSSCC Clauses 11 13 and 17 amended Drafting of a standard set of clauses for passenger conditions commenced
10 / 1986 Oct 1/3	Brockenhurst (UK) [United Baltic]	Chairman: Mr Barry McGee - United Baltic Corporation Ltd. 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]	Chairman: Mr Barry McGee - United Baltic Corporation Ltd. 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]	Chairman: Mr Barry McGee - United Baltic Corporation Ltd. Dangerous goods clause updated to accord with amendment 24 of IMDG.
13 / 1989 Oct 9/11	Bergen (Norway) [Nor Cargo]	Chairman: Mr Barry McGee - United Baltic Corporation Ltd. - Discussion on the Hamburg Rules - North Sea Standard Conditions of Carriage - Law & Jurisdiction Clause in the Standard Conditions of Carriage - C.M.R. Convention - Salvage Operations. Max Slotte retired as Permanent Secretary of the Conference, after 15 years of service The position of Vice-Chairman to the conference, created.
14 / 1990 Oct 16/18	"MS Hamburg" (Germany-UK) [DFDS]	Chairman: Mr Barry McGee - United Baltic Corporation Ltd. - A Lawyer's view on Salvage - Comparison of Main Passenger Carrying Conventions. The Athens Convention and the position of the the Nordic Governments - Variance of North Sea Operators' Standard Conditions of Carriage - Owner's response to serious casualties - International Conventions with a corresponding Law & Jurisdiction Clause: the Multimodal Convention, the Hamburg Rules, the Athens Convention. Amendments or not? Adoption of the Clause by the Conference? Should the Conference perhaps seek a further view from a Barrister in London specializing both in jurisdictional problems and the EEC law?. Mr Michael Stamford - Nor-Cargo Ltd. suggested that the name of the Conference and therefore the associated body to which members belong, be changed from North Sea Operators' Claims Conference to North Sea Operators' Conference. Mr Stamford explained the reason for this proposal which briefly was to encourage more people to attend from the operational side as opposed to the legal side, as it was felt that a senior member in a Company i.e. Director or Manager on seeing the word "Claims" in the title would immediately pass the papers to the Claims Department without any consultation with the Operational Department and it was for this reason that the proposal had been made in an effort to try and widen the scope of the Conference. Mr Per Rasmussen - DFDS A/S replied that he really felt that in his opinion the Conference was a "Claims Conference" and that it should remain so. He further stated that there are not so many people who are dealing with claims on a daily basis and that as we are a body which shares the same problems it is important that when we do meet once a year that we are able to exchange views. He further stated that he was concerned about the influx of delegates from freight organizations and it was for these reasons that the name should remain unaltered. This counter proposal was put to the vote and it was unanimously agreed that the Conference would remain known as the North Sea Operators' Claims Conference. Position of the Chairman, made permanent. Vice-Chairman position, made re-electable.
15 / 1991 Oct 15/17	Kiliney (Ireland) [Sealink]	Chairman: Mr Barry McGee - United Baltic Corporation Ltd. Blue and Yellow cards revised
16 / 1992 Sept 21/23	"MS Silja Serenade" (Sweden-Finland) [Finncarriers]	Chairman: Mr Barry McGee - Andrew Weir Shipping Ltd. Law & Jurisdiction Clause amendments unanimously rejected, as a standard. Individual members may use modified versions of NSSCC; providing NSSCC, not stated. NSOCC Ties and Scarves made available for delegates.
17 / 1993 Sept 20/22	"MS Danielle Casanova" (France-Corsica) [CGM]	Chairman: Mr Barry McGee - Andrew Weir Shipping Ltd. Criteria for conference membership established, to include any retired Conference member.
18 / 1994 Oct 10/12	Newcastle (UK) [North of England P &I]	Chairman: Mr Barry McGee - Andrew Weir Shipping Ltd. Working party to amend NSSCC in line with the new Nordic Maritime Code Mr John Nicholls - Through Transport Mutual Services UK., appointed as Vice-Chairman.
19 / 1995 Sept 11/13	Oslo (Norway) [Fred Olsen & Co]	Chairman: Mr Barry McGee - Andrew Weir Shipping Ltd. 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]	Chairman: Mr Barry McGee - Andrew Weir Shiping Ltd. 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). Mr Mike Stamford - Nor-Cargo Ltd., retired as Joint Vice-Chairman of Conference.
21 / 1997 Sept 29/Oct1	Rotterdam (Netherlands) [Post & Co (P & I) BV & Stena Line (Holland) BV]	Chairman: Mr Barry McGee - Andrew Weir Shipping Ltd. - Discussion on Gencon 94 and the law as applied in Belgium - Presentation from round-the world yacht's persons ("Toshiba Wave Warrior"). Mr Barry McGee and Ms Marion Hall - Andrew Weir Shipping Ltd., retired as Chairman and Secretary at the end of the Conference. Mr John Nicholls and Ms Sally Brice - Through Transport Mutual Services Ltd. UK., elected as Chairman and Secretary. Mr Per Kristiansson - Tor Line AB, elected Vice-Chairman.
22 / 1998 Sept 28/30	Cardiff (Wales) [Andrew Weir Shipping Ltd]	Chairman: Mr John Nicholls - Through Transport Mutual Services 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)	Chairman: Mr John Nicholls - Through Transport Mutual Services Ltd. Approval of revised Blue and Yellow card.
24 / 2000 Sept 18/20	Oxford (UK) [Thomas Cooper & Stibbard]	Chairman: Mr John Nicholls - Through Transport Mutual Services Ltd. Revising the North Sea Standard Conditions of Carriage.
25 / 2001 Sept 17/19	Göteborg (Sweden) [DFDS Tor Line A/S]	Chairman: Mr John Nicholls - Through Transport Mutua Services Ltd. - Shipping & claims handling in an electronic environment - Mediation.
26 / 2002 Sept 23/25	Antwerp (Belgium) [TT Club]	Chairman: Mr John Nicholls - Through Transport Mutual Services Ltd. - The problem of stowaways (P. Bartolo) - Changes in Intermodal Transport - Suing under a bill of lading / jurisdiction.
27 / 2003 Sept 15/17	Copenhagen (Denmark) [Scandlines & SKULD]	Chairman: Mr John Nicholls - Through Transport Mutual Services Ltd. - Latest update on CMR - Clarification ISPS Code / Port Security, the EU-view Mr John Nicholls retired as Chairman. Mr Thomas Bjorn Larsen - Assuranceforeningen Skuld (Gjensidig) Danske Rederes Retsværn København, elected.
28 / 2004 Sept 27/29	St. Malo (France) [Holman Fenwick & Willan]	Chairman: Mr Thomas Bjørn Larsen - Assuranceforeningen SKULD - 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). Ms Aida Kleinitz Schultz (Copenhagen), constituted as Conference Secretary. NSOCC Managing Board of Directors established: Mr Thomas Bjorn Larsen - SKULD Copenhagen as Chairman, Ms Kirsten Gade - Scandlines Danmark as Board member; Mr Adry Poelmans - Van Doosselaere Advocaten (Antwerpen) as Board member and Mr Andres Manuel Sanchez-Marin y Garrido as Manager, NSOCC Treasurer (Copenhagen).
29 / 2005 Oct 3/5	Edinburgh (Scotland) [UK Mutual Steam Ship Association (Bermuda) Ltd] [Brodies Solicitors, Edinburgh] [Henderson Boyd Jackson]	Chairman: Mr Thomas Bjørn Larsen - Assuranceforening SKULD - 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]	Chairman: Mr Thomas Bjørn Larsen - Assuranceforening SKULD - 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]	Chairman: Mr Thomas Bjørn Larsen - Assuranceforening SKULD - 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]	Chairman: Mr Thomas Bjørn Larsen - Assuranceforening SKULD - 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]	Chairman: Mr Thomas Bjørn Larsen - SKULD Germany NSOCC Blue and Yellow Card suggested changes. Blue Card / Green Card Working group headed by Mr Michel Vandenbroucke - Cobelfret Ferries (Antwerpen) - 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 - 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]	Chairman: Mr Thomas Bjørn Larsen - SKULD Germany Blue Card / Green Card Working group headed by Mr Michel Vandenbroucke - Cobelfret Ferries (Antwerpen), reporting. - Securing of Cargo in Different Transport Modes - Ro Ro Operators' Liability for Goods Received on Terminal, also re. Rotterdam Rules. Future of the 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.]	Chairman: Mr Thomas Bjørn Larsen - SKULD Germany - Home is where the jurisdiction is - From Short-Sea Shipping to Short-Multimodal Transport, Claims and Liability Issues - European Regulations and Transport - Places of Refuge - Container stacking problems in Shortsea - Limitation of Liability, New issues - eCustoms and transport -Examples of cargo declarations for Customs purposes - European economic sanctions, impact on trade and transport.
36 / 2012 Sept 3/5	Newcastle (UK) [North of England P &I]	Chairman: Mr Thomas Bjørn Larsen - SKULD Germany - Bad Fuel or Bad Maintenance? Damage to Marine Engines - Casualty Management and Investigation, the role of the Coastal State - Marine Accident Prevention and Investigation - Passenger Incidents and Disorder onboard: A Legal Framework - Dangerous Goods: Lessons to be Learned - Time Bars in English Law - Don't ask what happened- understand why it happened. Mr Thomas Bjørn Larsen - Skuld Germany GmbH retired as Chairman. Mr Andy Macrow - West of England P&I Club (London), elected Chairman. Mr Martynas Jonkus - AB DFDS Seaways (Klaipëda) elected vice-Chairman. Mr Adry Poelmans - Van Doosselaere Advocaten (Antwerpen) retired from the Board. Mr Jakob Gjølbo - Legalink Danmark (Copenhagen) elected in his place.
37 / 2013 Sept 2/4	Göteborg (Sweden) [Stena Line AB]	Chairman: Mr Andy Macrow - West of England P&I Club - 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]	Chairman: Mr Andy Macrow - West of England P&I Club Green Card Problems, time for a change: is the future purple? - Dealing with a major casualty, a case study based on “LISCO GLORIA” - Passenger Compensation Claims - Wreck Removal update: The Nairobi Convention - Pilot Error. Ms Kirsten Gade - Scandlines, leaves the board. NSOCC website up and running.
39 / 2015 Sept 28/29	Chatham (UK) [West of England Insurance Services (Luxembourg) S.A.]	Chairman: Mr Andy Macrow - West of England P&I Club - 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. Mr Jens Mathiasen - Gorrissen Federspiel (Copenhagen) steps on as member of the board.
40 / 2016 Oct 3/4	Antwerp (Belgium) [AON Risk Solutions, Rotterdam]	Chairman: Mr Andy Macrow - West of England P&I Club - 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]	Chairman: Mr Andy Macrow - West of England P&I Club - 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]	Chairman: Mr Andy Macrow - West of England P&I Club - 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. Mr Andy Macrow - West of England P&I Club (London) retired as Chairman. Mr Rune Dybedal - The North of England P&I Association Limited (Newcastle upon Thyne) elected Chairman.
43 / 2019 Oct 7/8	Ipswich (UK) [Birketts LLP]	Chairman: Mr Rune Dybedal - North of England P&I Association Ltd. - 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]	Chairman: Mr Rune Dybedal - North of England P&I Association Ltd. - 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]	Chairman: Mr Rune Dybedal - NorthStandard Limited - 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]	Chairman: Mr Rune Dybedal - NorthStandard Limited - 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]	Chairman: Mr Rune Dybedal - NorthStandard Limited - 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.

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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.