The new General Regulations of the Navigation Law was issued on February 9, 2026, published in the Official Gazette on February 19, 2026, and entered into force eight days after its publication. This regulatory body develops the Navigation Law, which was published on May 17, 2023.
The Regulation finds its direct legal basis in Article 223 of the Navigation Law, a provision that expressly recognizes the need to issue regulations in order to develop and enable effective application of the law.
The purpose of the Regulation is to facilitate and ensure the proper application of the Navigation Law, developing the manner in which the persons subject to said legislation must exercise their rights and comply with their obligations, as well as the corresponding administrative procedures. Likewise, the Regulations institutionally strengthen the Maritime Authority, the National Navy, consolidating its functions: regulatory, normative, supervisory, control and oversight, surveillance, sanctioning, and dispute resolution functions.
Among the most relevant provisions of the Regulations are the following: Article 5, which promotes national maritime strategic planning and aligns sector management with international standards; Article 10, which reinforces the supervisory and control powers of the Maritime Authority over operators, vessels, and concessionaires, strengthening safety and regulatory compliance; Article 12, which consolidates the sanctioning authority in response to violations of the Navigation Law; and, finally, Article 116, which requires that port work be carried out by duly trained and certified personnel, prioritizing operational safety.
With the entry into force of the new Regulations, the Executive Regulations of the General Maritime-Port Law, published on January 21, 2015, are repealed, thus marking a transition toward an updated regulatory framework aligned with the new Navigation Law.
