Circular issued by International Group clubs Background We refer Members to Circular published on 17 January 2017 on the IMO's International Convention for the Control and Management of Ships' Ballast Water and Sediments (the "Convention") that will enter into force on 8 September 2017, and the US Coast Guard (USCG) regulations requiring the installation on most vessels operating in US waters of a BWM system that meets the USCG's stricter testing standards at the first scheduled dry docking after 1 January 2016. On 7 July 2017, the 71st session of the IMO's Marine Environmental Protection Committee (MEPC) reached agreement on a revised implementation schedule for the installation of a BWM system under the Convention. The revised schedule effectively postpones by two years the compliance deadline for installing an approved BWM system for ships constructed before 8 September 2017. It is important to note that this has no effect on the compliance dates with the USCG regulations. IMO BWM Convention – Revised implementation schedule The Circular published on 17 January 2017 informed Members that, under the Convention, all ships in international trade are required to manage their ballast water and sediments to a certain standard, according to a ship-specific BWM plan. In addition, all ships are required to carry on board a ballast water record book and an international BWM certificate, with the current BWM standards being phased in over a period of time. That Circular also previously informed Members that, eventually, most ships would need to install an on-board ballast water treatment system that meets the IMO's standards by the date of a vessel's first International Oil Pollution Prevention (IOPP) renewal survey after the Convention enters into force on 8 September 2017. The new revised implementation schedule applies to approved BWM treatment systems and specifies the acceptable levels of viable organisms left in ballast water after treatment in accordance with th