legal aspects of the marine environment protection and oil transportation: example of the baltic sea

Legal aspects of the marine environment protection and oil transportation:

example of the Baltic Sea

Ecological risks of the maritime oil transportation

• World tanker fleet appr. 7000 vessels• Cargo capacity – 76 000 -175 000 tons• Transportation of oil by tankers and

accidents result in the dumping of 600 000 -1 750 000 tons of oil into the ocean per year;

• Oil spills and oil wastes are extremely damaging for marine landscape and ocean’s inhabitants.

Baltic Sea:

•An average of 2,000 ships are at sea each day▫including 200 tankers carrying oil or other

potentially harmful products. ▫It is estimated that oil transportation may

increase by 40% by 2017. •The expansion and construction of oil

terminals on the shores of the Gulf of Finland and regional economic growth may lead to even higher increases in shipping.

Baltic sea

Ecological risks of maritime oil transportation in the Baltic Sea: types of accidents

34%

50%

6%

6%2%2%

Collision

Grounding

Pollution

MachinerydamageFire

Others

Causes of accidents:

Technical factor; 25%

External factor 13%

others 8%

Human factor 33%

no information

21%

Human factor

Technical factor

External factor

others

no information

International law and prevention of oil pollution from ships•Global level:

▫United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 10/12/1982 – “umbrella convention”

▫International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage, 1969;

▫International Convention on the Establishment of an International Fund for Compensation for Oil Pollution Damage, 1971;

▫International Convention for the prevention of pollution from Ships (MARPOL)

Particular Sensitive Sea Area•The Baltic Sea area: Denmark, Estonia,

Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Sweden (2005) ▫ Traffic separation schemes (new and

amendments to existing);▫ Deepwater route;▫ Areas to be avoided in addition to existing

routing, reporting and pilotage systems plus MARPOL Special Area

International law and prevention of oil pollution from ships

•Regional level:▫Convention on the Protection of the

Maritime Environment of the Baltic Sea Area (Helsinki Convention 1992);

▫HELCOM Recommendations•EU-legislature