The US Federal Maritime Commission (FMC) has reorganised its investigative and prosecution functions, consolidating them into the newly created Bureau of Enforcement, Investigations and Compliance (BEIC) effective immediately.
The BEIC will be headed by an attorney in the senior executive service with regulatory, prosecutorial and investigatory experience. The FMC’s managing director, Lucille Marvin, will serve as the bureau’s acting director until a permanent director is hired.
“Robust enforcement of the Shipping Act is absolutely key to the effectiveness of the Federal Maritime Commission,” said chairman Daniel Maffei in a release. “This reorganisation has the support of all five commissioners and creates a structure better suited to meeting the mandate the president and Congress have given this agency to prioritise enforcement. Specifically, it enhances FMC’s capacity to closely scrutinise the conduct of the ocean carrier companies and marine terminal operators to ensure compliance with the law and fairness for American importers and exporters.”
The reorganisation was initiated following an internal examination undertaken to identify how to increase the effectiveness of FMC enforcement and compliance activities. The review determined a restructuring and merging of enforcement and compliance programs would result in a more efficient, coordinated, and responsive operation from initiation to conclusion of an investigation.
As part of the reorganisation, the commission will increase the number of investigators it has on staff.
