Maritime safety and thus ISM (International Safety Management Code) audits are directly or indirectly regulated by a host of regulatory instruments. These regulations set the standards for verification, certification, and auditing mechanisms. Intrinsically, these legal regulations influence, or at least should influence, the quality and effectiveness of this auditing mechanism. The legal regulatory framework of …More

The aggression by the Russian Federation against Ukraine in 2022 has rewritten the EU-Russia partnership that had developed over the last thirty years. In those thirty years, both the EU and the Russian Federation became maritime powers. This paper offers an analysis of the main dynamics that have brought about the developments of the EU-Russia …More

The Turkish Straits are one of the most congested and dangerous natural waterways in the world and recent developments have placed additional strain on safety of navigation. Previously, it has been argued that certain steps would improve transit safety and that the expenditure involved in realizing these measures could be financed through a proportional increase …More

In this paper, we analyse the phenomenon of designing a litigation strategy. To do this, we study the case of search and rescue operations in the Mediterranean. In particular, we observe how teams of lawyers (supported by foundations and private donations) are trying to challenge EU immigration policies by developing different litigation strategies before the …More

After years of great uncertainty on the viability of deep-sea mining activities, the International Seabed Authority is currently negotiating the draft regulations on exploitation of mineral resources in the Area. In this context, the EU has recently come up with a Commission proposal for an EU Council decision on the position to be taken on …More

Many governments face the problem of IUU fishing. Spain is a state party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) and has comprehensive spatial planning compatible with international norms. In its maritime territory, the penal code is applied according to the legal regime applicable the different areas and within limitations …More

Superposition of national legal regimes in maritime disputed areas is governed by a set of international rules provided for in Articles 74 and 83 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). According to those articles, and as the international jurisprudence confirmed, not all activities are permissible in those areas, and …More

The article presents the legal framework of EUNAVFOR MED IRINI, a naval force established by the EU to contribute to the implementation of the arms embargo on Libya by UNSC Resolution 1970 (2011). The legal basis of IRINI is to be found both in the EU Council’s Decision establishing it, and the UNSC Resolution it …More

This article discusses the privatisation of policing at sea, in the form of the delegation of police powers by States and the EU to private vessels. Admittedly, such privatisation has significantly increased the last years and gives rise to numerous international law questions, including questions concerning the consistency of such practice with international law, the …More

Since December 2019, over 3,600 people have been infected with coronavirus or coronavirus-like illnesses aboard cruise ships. Whether infected or not, many passengers assert that cruise lines negligently handled COVID-19 outbreaks on board ships, posing a significant risk to their health, safety, and emotional well being. Various laws, including the Death on the High Seas …More