STOPIA 2006 (as amended 2017) and TOPIA 2006 (as amended 2017) – 2017 amendments 20 February 2017 No.16-021 Download PDF (1,506KB) Background   The Small Tanker Oil Pollution Indemnification Agreement (STOPIA) and the Tanker Oil Pollution Indemnification Agreement (TOPIA) were agreed in 2006 to reflect the desire of shipowner entered Members in International Group Clubs to ensure the continuing success of the international oil pollution compensation regime.  More particularly, with the 2003 Supplementary Fund Protocol having been recently introduced at that time, there was a desire to ensure that the costs of responding to spills of persistent oil from tankers should be more equitably borne by shipowners and the receivers of oil.   STOPIA 2006 provides for shipowners to make payments to the 1992 Fund which are designed to adjust the financial effect of the limitation of liability provisions contained in the 1992 International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage (1992 CLC) for spills from tankers of less than 29,548 GT. TOPIA 2006 provides for shipowners to indemnify the Supplementary Fund for 50% of the compensation it pays under the 2003 Supplementary Fund Protocol for pollution damage caused by tankers in States Party to the Protocol.   To date, there has been one STOPIA case and no TOPIA cases (on account of the fact that there have been no cases that have engaged the Supplementary Fund).   Both Agreements contain identical review clauses that provide for a review of 1992 CLC and 1992 Fund claims data from the period of 20 February 2006 (when both Agreements became effective) to 20 February 2016.   STOPIA and TOPIA review   The International Group initiated this review at the start of 2016, with the participation of the 1992 Fund Secretariat and the Oil Companies International Marine Forum (OCIMF) (representing the cargo contributors).   The outcome of the review highlighted that the total cost of cl