Too many oil spills have given dramatic evidence of the inadequacy of international conventions designed to prevent and/or compensate for maritime pollution damage. In the light of the ecological disaster caused by such incidents and the huge economic consequences for the population of the zones affected, various concerned parties around the world are deeply committed to the goals of optimizing legal mechanisms to prevent and deter maritime pollution incidents as well as providing better and more efficient compensation of victims. One of the more notable conferences dedicated to this purpose was sponsored by the Institute of International Maritime Law of Dalian Maritime University in conjunction with the Maastricht European Institute for Transnational Legal Research in June 2009. This important book is a record of that conference. Twenty-nine authors A- academics, lawyers, and officials of relevant agencies, from China, Europe, and the United States A- here offer thorough analysis of the overt and underlying legal issues with which this difficult matter is fraught, including the following: A { imposition of financial caps; A { competence of authorities; A { criminal sanctions for non-compliance; A { parties to criminal liability; A { territorial scope of state police power; A { relevance and application of the public trust doctrine; A { carriage of dangerous substances by sea; A { fair treatment of seafarers; A { role of the A protection and indemnity clubs A|; A { monitoring and inspections of ships as an aspect of criminal law; and A { insurance coverage for fines. The approach thoughout is both legal multi-disciplinary and comparative. The relevant international conventions are examined (particularly the A Bunker Convention A| of 2008), with particular attention to their implementation in China and Europe, as well as the independent U.S. regime. In addition, detailed empirical data from well-known case studies provide important insights into the working of international and national prevention and compensation mechanisms. Through a critical review of the current structure of prevention and compensation for oil pollution damage, this book opens the door to a further restructuring of conventions (or national legislation), clarifying the dimensions of the crucial discussion about of how an optimal enforcement of oil pollution legislation can be achieved and who should bear the costs. It will be hugely valuable to policymakers and practitioners dealing with this most daunting and urgent of international legal problems.

Marine oil pollution is one of the most damaging environmental liabilities of our time, and is taken very seriously by governments. Although international conventions take the lead in the legal regime underpinning prevention and compensation of marine oil pollution damage, national legal systems differ considerably in how they interpret and apply their monitoring and enforcement responsibilities. This is the first book to present a comparative analysis of the law with respect to marine oil pollution, with expert contributions emphasising particular solutions in Europe, the US, and China. The authors draw on the full range of legal sources, from theory and legislation to procedure and actual case studies. Written by both academics and practitioners - senior academics with a wide experience in the field, and practitioners who have extensively dealt with marine pollution issues - the work is not confined to a mere legal analysis, but offers a more inclusive law and economics perspective, solidly built on a substantial analysis (in English) of the law in the European, US, Chinese, and international contexts. Individual contributors focus on countries with which they have particular expertise or experience. This book will be of interest to corporate counsel, international lawyers, academics, and policy makers, as well as to students of (international) environmental and maritime law. In addition, the book is especially valuable to non-Chinese lawyers for its clear insight into the complex Chinese environmental legal system.

In Environmental Law and Economics, Michael G. Faure and Roy A. Partain provide a detailed overview of the law-and-economics methodology developed and employed by environmental lawyers and policymakers. The authors demonstrate how this approach can transcend political divisions in the context of international environmental law, environmental criminal law, and the property rights approach to environmental law. Private law solutions and public regulatory approaches are also explored, including traditional command-and-control and market-based forms of regulation. The book not only shows how the law-and-economics framework can be used to protect the environment, but also to examine deeper questions involving environmental federalism and the effectiveness of environmental law in developing economies. In clear, digestible prose that does not require readers to possess a background in microeconomics or mathematics, the authors introduce the theory and practice of environmental law and economics that have been so critical in the creation of robust environmental policy.

In Environmental Law and Economics, Michael G. Faure and Roy A. Partain provide a detailed overview of the law-and-economics methodology developed and employed by environmental lawyers and policymakers. The authors demonstrate how this approach can transcend political divisions in the context of international environmental law, environmental criminal law, and the property rights approach to environmental law. Private law solutions and public regulatory approaches are also explored, including traditional command-and-control and market-based forms of regulation. The book not only shows how the law-and-economics framework can be used to protect the environment, but also to examine deeper questions involving environmental federalism and the effectiveness of environmental law in developing economies. In clear, digestible prose that does not require readers to possess a background in microeconomics or mathematics, the authors introduce the theory and practice of environmental law and economics that have been so critical in the creation of robust environmental policy.