The Paris Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has published its new performance lists for flag states based on port state control inspections. The Cayman Islands now tops the list, up from 6. The Netherlands loses five spots and moves from 4 to 9.
The new Paris MoU lists took effect on 1 July 2026. The flag state performance overview is divided into a White, Grey and Black List. It is based on the total number of inspections and detentions during a three-year rolling period for flags with at least thirty inspections in the period.
The White List represents quality flags with a consistently low detention record. Flags with an average performance are shown on the Grey List. Their appearance on this list may serve as an incentive to improve. At the same time, flags at the lower end of the Grey List should be careful not to neglect control over their ships and risk ending up on the Black List next year.
Also read: Netherlands drops two spots on flag state performance list
2026 list versus 2025 list
Regarding the flag state performance list for 2024 (published in July 2025), a total number of 69 flags were listed: 40 on the White List, 17 on the Grey List and 12 on the Black List. The new list also contains 69 flag states: 40 on the White List, 19 on the Grey List and 10 on the Black List.
France was unable to hold on to the top spot and now ranks 7th. The Cayman Islands scored the best results over the past year en jumped from 6 to the top spot (ranked 17 the year before that). Sweden and Norway complete the top 3. New in the top 10 is Sweden (up from 12) and leaving the top 10 is Italy (from 8 to 11).
Vessels sailing under the Dutch flag were inspected 832 times over the past year. In 428 cases, deficiencies were found (51.4 per cent). In 1.6 per cent of inspections, deficiencies led to detentions.
The top ten is completed by (with last year’s ranking in brackets):
- Denmark (2)
- Japan (10)
- Singapore (5)
- France (1)
- Finland (7)
- Netherlands (4)
- Luxembourg (9).
New on the White List and up from Grey are Saudi Arabia, which now ranks 26th (up from 41), Croatia (30, up from 42), and Panama (36, up from 48). Lithuania (from 34 to 42), Thailand (from 36 to 49) and Egypt (from 40 to 53) switched the other way and are now found on the Grey List.
Tuvalu was absent from the 2025 list, but can now be found on the Grey List.
Also read: Netherlands back as runner-up on port state control performance list
Black List
The Black List is categorised in flag states posing a Medium, Medium to High or Very High Risk. Saint Kitts and Nevis, Palau, Togo, and Guinea-Bissau (new to the list) fall into the first category. Belize, Vanuatu, and Vietnam end up in the Medium to High Risk category.
Comoros (254 inspections, 59 detentions), the United Republic of Tanzania (205 inspections, 59 detentions), and Cameroon (138 inspections, 44 detentions) are the three countries in the Very High Risk category. Cameroon has ended up in last postition for several years now.
Fire safety still an area of concern
During 2025, the number of refusals-of-access (bans) increased to 19, marking a rise following several years of relatively low figures.
The detention rate also trended upward, reaching 4.18 per cent in 2025, compared to 4.03 per cent in 2024. This follows a period of consistently elevated detention percentages in recent years, including the 4.25 per cent recorded in 2022. The Paris MoU says it will continue to closely monitor these developments.
An analysis of deficiencies and detainable deficiencies reveals no significant shift towards non-compliance within any single convention or regulatory area. Instead, the data underscores recurring areas of concern that consistently show higher rates of non-compliance in both absolute and relative terms. These include fire safety (SOLAS Chapter II-2: 16.8 per cent), structural and electrical elements (SOLAS Chapter II-1: 11.6 per cent), and health protection, medical care, welfare and social security protection (MLC Title IV: 10.0 per cent).
At the specific deficiency level, fire doors (3.1 per cent) and Seafarers’ Employment Agreements (1.3 per cent) remain prominent areas of non-compliance. Additionally, broader ISM-related (International Safety Management Code) deficiencies accounted for 4.5 per cent of the total.
Also read: Paris MoU fire door inspections: 13.9% non-compliant
