Difference between revisions of "Green Ships:Ship breaking Regulations"

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=== '''Weaknesses''' ===
 
=== '''Weaknesses''' ===
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ambiguities in the Convention. Arts. 4.1 and 6 of the Basel Convention stipulates that no shipment of waste should take place without all “States Concerned” being informed and consented. (Alam). It is well known that this requirement can be circumvented by unscrupulous waste ship traders by declaring a ship to be waste only after it is in international waters or already at the shipbreaking state. (Alam)

Revision as of 12:27, 28 May 2015

Hong Kong Convention

Summary

Strengths

Weaknesses

AFS Convention

Summary

According to AFS, will enter force and become binding on the parties one year after 25 states, representing 25% of the world’s merchant shipping tonnage, have ratified it. (Gipperth). Panama became the 25th state (out of 166 IMO member countries) to ratify the convention. These 25 countries represent 38.09% of worlds merchant shipping tonnage, convention entered force September 2008. (Gipperth)

Strengths

AFS Convention prohibited all use of TBT based antifouling paints in 2008. (Stichnothe)

Weaknesses

Due to entering into force of AFS convention on September 2008, huge amount of TBT containing wastes is expected to be produced, near shipyards, in following months. (Stichnothe)

European Commission

Summary

Strengths

Weaknesses

Basel Convention

Summary

The Basel Convention remains the principal international legal instrument of regulation on the shipbreaking industry. (Alam). The main purpose of the Basel Convention is to ensure that parties take responsibility for their own hazardous waste, establish hazardous waste disposal facilities (including recycling) within their territory, minimise the generation and transboundary movement of hazardous waste, and ensure that they do not export the hazards and damage to human health and the environment, to other countries. (Alam). The European Waste Shipment Regulation 259/93/EEC determines which procedures to apply before waste can be shipped within, into and out of the European Community.26 The Regulation is largely based on the Basel Convention. (Alam). In most cases, ships exported for shipbreaking are a clear violation of these objectives. (Alam).

Strengths

Firstly, it obligates the Parties, irrespective of their status (e.g., State of Export, Import, Transit, flag or port State), to prohibit or not permit the export of hazardous and other wastes to parties, which have prohibited the import of such wastes. (Alam) Basel Convention is environmentally sound management, which means taking all practicable steps to ensure protection of human health and the environment. (Alam) Basel Convention defines “illegal traffic” of hazardous wastes and makes it a criminal act. (Alam)

Weaknesses

ambiguities in the Convention. Arts. 4.1 and 6 of the Basel Convention stipulates that no shipment of waste should take place without all “States Concerned” being informed and consented. (Alam). It is well known that this requirement can be circumvented by unscrupulous waste ship traders by declaring a ship to be waste only after it is in international waters or already at the shipbreaking state. (Alam)