Faroese ship register rules remain unchanged despite promises

Rules governing the Faroese international ship register, FAS, have still not been tightened despite repeated promises from ministers, Kringvarp Føroya reported. The National Audit Office confirmed the delay in its 2025 annual report.

For four years, successive ministers responsible for the Maritime Authority have promised to review and strengthen the rules. The law has not yet been amended.

The National Audit Office has discussed its audit of FAS in previous reports. In 2022, the responsible minister said the administration and the Maritime Authority were working on revisions to the FAS Act.

The plan was to introduce more specific and stricter requirements for representatives of owners living abroad. The representatives would be held more accountable if dealings with the authorities were not conducted properly.

The National Audit Office said greater responsibility for representatives could encourage them to ensure that they did not represent companies at risk of being linked to questionable activities.

In 2024, the Ministry of Environment and Business Affairs said it still intended to revise the rules and tighten the requirements for representatives. In August 2025, the ministry said it was working on the matter.

The National Audit Office has now confirmed that the law remains unchanged.