International regime and the EU developments for preventing and controlling vessel-source oil pollution

Abstract:

Sea-going vessels introduce pollutants into the marine environment in three principal ways: through oil and other cargoes entering the water due to collisions or other maritime casualties; through loading, unloading and bunkering operations; and through operational discharges of oil which are made deliberately, during normal operation. This article critically assesses the EU developments and the international legal regime for preventing, reducing and controlling vessel-source marine oil pollution. The critical analysis will be in the light of the MARPOL Convention 1973 as modified by the 1978 Protocol, which provides the international rules and standards for controlling pollution from ships, and the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOSC), which provides prescriptive and enforcement jurisdiction of flag, coastal or port states.