Yachts in Europe, Russia or Canada will face new marine safety inspections from 2011 following the implementation of the Paris MOU's New Inspection Regime (NIR), Sail World reports.

Previously only 25% of ships and very few yachts were inspected at ports in countries signatory to the Paris Memorandom of Understanding on Port State Control, which includes most maritime countries in Europe as we as Russia and Canada. 

But the introduction of the NIR sees a shared commitment to inspect all ships and boats visiting ports in the Paris MOU region.

Vessels will be inspected under such categories as type of vessel, age, flag, class society, owner and/or manager and inspection history. A 'Ship Risk Profile' will also classify vessels as either low risk, standard risk or high risk, requiring inspections every two years, 12 months and six months respectively.

The NIR has courted controversy among boat owners due to the requirements for classification as a Low Risk Ship, which state that the flag in which a yacht is registered must be included on the Paris MOU's approved 'white list'. At present only 16 flags have such approval.

Meanwhile, the region's 'black list' - which represents flags of countries considered high risk - lists a number of Caribbean states.