Ensuring the Quality of ISM Audits – The Role and Adequacy of the Legal Framework of Auditing

25 October 2023 | by Editorial Board

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

Some Reflections on the EU-Russia Partnership After the 1994 Corfu Agreement, with Specific Reference to Maritime Affairs

12 September 2023 | by Editorial Board

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

Turkish Straits: Recent Adjustment of Transit Charges and Safety of Navigation

1 August 2023 | by Editorial Board

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

Litigation Strategies in the Mediterranean Sea: Analysis of Cases on Search and Rescue Joint Operations before the International Courts

17 May 2023 | by Editorial Board

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

The European Union at the International Seabed Authority: A Question of Competence on the Brink of Deep-Sea Mining

17 March 2023 | by Editorial Board

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

The Superposition of National Legal Regimes in Maritime Disputed Areas

17 October 2022 | by Editorial Board

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

Privatisation of Policing at Sea by States and the European Union and its Challenges under International Law

8 August 2022 | by Editorial Board

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

Sea-Sick: Legal Remedies for Cruise Ship Passengers Affected by the COVID-19 Pandemic

31 December 2021 | by Editorial Board

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