Bureau Veritas has begun issuing electronic and statutory certificates, replacing paper certification. The launch of the e-certification process comes following successful pilots with shipowners and flag states.
The e-certificates, which have been developed in compliance with IMO guidelines, will be issued on behalf of 52 flag states, representing 72% of the Bureau Veritas classed fleet. Digital certification will make life simpler for masters, shipowners, and their staff, by reducing time-consuming and expensive paperwork.
The certificates can be delivered or accessed via Bureau Veritas’s My VeriSTAR mobile application and the VeriSTAR Info desktop portal, reducing the administrative burden both on board and on shore.
The introduction of e-certificates promises secured accuracy, elimination of loss or damage to original certificates and the related risk of delay, reduced opportunities for fraud, and quicker and easier management of certification, with secure storage and easy sharing of documents among stakeholders.
Patrick Le-Dily, Vice-President, Legal Compliance & Regulatory Management, Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore says: “With a significant number of flag states providing their support to this project we now expect to see the rapid development of e-certification. The pace of that development should increase as more flag states come on board.’
Bureau Veritas has implemented the electronic signature feature of the new digital certificates working with Cert Europe, electronic signature experts. Cert Europe is certified in accordance with applicable technical requirements and specifications for class and statutory certification and supports digital certification for the Bureau Veritas Group.
Certificate authenticity and validity can be verified via a secure online web portal using a QR code, URL or search via the certificate’s unique tracking number.
“Our e-certification capability now provides the industry with the opportunity to benefit from further digital efficiency – reducing administration, reducing costs and improving accuracy with peace of mind, under-written by a secured solution” says Laurent Hentges, Vice-President, Operational Excellence and Information Systems.
The e-certificates are also scalable to move with technology developments. For example, they could be moved from a Bureau Veritas system into a blockchain, where the maritime data could be shared and made directly transparent to the involved stakeholders.
