The legal regime regulating ship safety and pollution provides an illustration of late-20th century trends in international law in general, and of the law of the sea and international environmental law in particular. The sources of law are expanding in several directions. The number of global instruments - both "soft" and "hard" law - is constantly increasing and regional organizations are more and more concerned with matters affecting traditional freedoms of the seas. Frequently, different levels of norms cover the same issues, thus creating competing - possibly even conflicting - rules. This volume provides a detailed examination of current legal issues relating to the variety of rules and rule-makers in the field of marine environmental protection, and also relates the recent developments to international law in a wider context. It contains revised and edited versions of the papers presented at a conference in the Aland Islands, Finland in August 1996, convened by the Department of LAw of Abo Akademi University, Finland.

This book explores the role of the European Union (EU) in the cooperation and regulation of the Baltic Sea Region (BSR), from both an institutional and substantive perspective. It particularly focuses on the role of the Union in advancing the broader marine governance framework in the region. Questions investigated include: in what way does the Union participate in, or otherwise influence, the activities of States, international organisations and other actors involved in BSR cooperation and regulation, and what is the importance and substantive outcome of the Union's specific role in this respect? How has the membership of eight out of nine Baltic Sea coastal States in the EU affected cooperation in the region, in terms of substance as well as procedure, and what is the influence of the BSR over the EU? These questions are discussed from different perspectives by leading experts in both the fields of EU law and the law of the BSR.

Interest in autonomous ships has grown exponentially over the past few years. Whereas a few years ago, the prospect of unmanned and autonomous vessels sailing on the seas was considered unrealistic, the debate now centers on when and in what format and pace the development will take place. Law has a key role to play in this development and legal obstacles are often singled out as principal barriers to the rapid introduction of new technologies in shipping. Within a few years, autonomous ships have turned from a non-issue to one of the main regulatory topics being addressed by the International Maritime Organization. However, the regulatory discussion is still in its infancy, and while many new questions have been raised, few answers have been provided to them to date. Increased automation of tasks that have traditionally been undertaken by ships' crews raises interesting legal questions across the whole spectrum of maritime law. The first of its kind, this book explores the issue of autonomous ships from a wide range of legal perspectives, including both private law and public law at international and national level, making available cutting-edge research which will be of significant interest to researchers in maritime law.

Interest in autonomous ships has grown exponentially over the past few years. Whereas a few years ago, the prospect of unmanned and autonomous vessels sailing on the seas was considered unrealistic, the debate now centers on when and in what format and pace the development will take place. Law has a key role to play in this development and legal obstacles are often singled out as principal barriers to the rapid introduction of new technologies in shipping. Within a few years, autonomous ships have turned from a non-issue to one of the main regulatory topics being addressed by the International Maritime Organization. However, the regulatory discussion is still in its infancy, and while many new questions have been raised, few answers have been provided to them to date. Increased automation of tasks that have traditionally been undertaken by ships' crews raises interesting legal questions across the whole spectrum of maritime law. The first of its kind, this book explores the issue of autonomous ships from a wide range of legal perspectives, including both private law and public law at international and national level, making available cutting-edge research which will be of significant interest to researchers in maritime law.