HAMBURG/BREMEN – A group of ten transport and maritime experts from Albania and Montenegro took part in a three-day TAIEX study visit in Germany to deepen their understanding of maritime dangerous goods transport and align with international safety standards. Held from 25 to 27 March 2025, the visit focused on the latest updates to the International Maritime Dangerous Goods (IMDG) Code, which came into effect on 1 January 2025.
Organised in cooperation with the Port of Hamburg and the Port of Bremen, the programme provided first-hand insights into best practices for handling dangerous goods in maritime transport. The Permanent Secretariat of the Transport Community played a key role in facilitating the visit and selecting experts from the Western Balkans to take part in the event.
During the visit, participants engaged with leading German port authorities, industry professionals, and maritime safety experts. They also conducted site visits to the two ports, and learned from expert presentations on the latest safety standards. Finally, the study visit included a tour of the Hamburg Port Authority’s digitalisation projects, discussions with the maritime police on dangerous goods regulations, and a live container inspection at the Port of Bremen.
This study visit helps the Western Balkan experts to strengthen maritime safety across the region. As the latest edition of the IMDG Code include major changes on the reclassification of substances, updated packaging and labeling requirements, and adjustments to thresholds and exemptions, there is a need to familiarise with the new rules, update documentation, train personnel, and ensure compliance with revised safety standards.
The new edition of the code has also been harmonised with ADR (road transport) and RID (rail transport) regulations to ensure consistency across different modes of transport.
