31 August 2014

Demandeur pays: The EU and funding improvements in South Asian ship recycling practices

Highlights:
  • The Hong Kong Convention on ship recycling remains far from ratification.
  • South Asian nations with suspect practices are indifferent to this convention.
  • Using European legislation to improve South Asian practices is problematic.
  • EU aid to South Asian nations is more likely to encourage desired improvements.

Abstract:
Questionable practices for dismantling end-of-life ships or ‘ship recycling’ on South Asian countries’ shores have elicited unease given their dominance of this unevenly regulated global industry. International efforts to establish enforceable regulations have met with limited success so far, and yet this limited success may be further eroded as different interests promote their own preferred arrangements—or ignore them altogether. This paper focuses on narrowing differences between the European Union and South Asian ship recycling nations over regulating this trade by sequentially detailing its economic rationales, environmental regimes and relevant sustainability principles. These tasks performed, I deductively build a case for an aid-based, ‘demandeur pays’ approach to meaningfully address this impasse after considering other options to fund improved ship recycling practices in South Asia.

Keywords:
Ship recycling; Hong Kong Convention; California effect; Demandeur pays

Author: 
Emmanuel Yujuico
University of Asia and the Pacific, School of Law and Governance, Pearl Drive, Ortigas Center, Pasig City 1605, Philippines
Tel.: +63 2 637 0912x323. yujuico@gmail.com

Source: science direct.

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