The ISPS Code together with the related amendments made to the SOLAS Agreement; was published in the Diario Oficial de la Federación on the 12th of February, 2004; and was put into effect on the 1st of July, 2004.

The Ministry of Communications and Transport, General Coordination of Ports and Merchant Marine (GCPMM), determined, on the document N0. 115.-3167.3-12764, that FIDENA would be, with its group of experts, the Federal Institution to carry out the Evaluation Plan of Port Facilities (EPPF), Revision of the Protection Plan for Port Facilities (PPPF) and Auditing on the Implementation of the PPPF.

The General Coordination of Ports and Merchant Marine (GCPMM), published the names of the ports and terminals that would be complying with the regulations of the Code, on the document dated on the 12th of January, 2004. Also FIDENA worked on the procedures for the implementation of the Code in ports and maritime terminals.

Any port or terminal required to comply with the regulations of the Code, should send the service application, properly completed, to FIDENA´S e-mail codigo.pbip@fidena.gob.mx. The ports and terminals, in order to accelerate EPPF procedures, must have the formats PBIP003 and 004 completed. Those of which are the following:

• Ports: “Previous Questionnaire” and “ General information about the port”
• Terminals: “Previous Questionnaire of the Terminal” and “ General Information of the terminal”

World Terrorism will be looking out for our vulnerable zones in ships and ports.

The IMO set the grounds to protect ourselves.

To follow these guidelines or not, it is up to us.