Regulating Vessel Discharges on the International and EU Level

Book excerpt: In Regulating Vessel Discharges on the International and EU Level, Alexander Proelss and Valentin J. Schatz use the examples of scrubber washwater, sewage and ballast water to offer a detailed analysis of the regulation of marine and freshwater pollution caused by discharges from vessels. This regulatory framework is characterized by a considerable degree of complexity. This complexity results from the multiplicity of applicable legal instruments, the technical nature of the relevant provisions, and the varying spatial scopes of the applicable rules in light of the mobility of international shipping. Alexander Proelss and Valentin J. Schatz clarify existing legal uncertainties and suggest harmonized interpretations and applications of the pertinent rules and principles that avoid conflicts of norms.