International initiatives have failed to sufficiently address the problem of pollution generated by marine transport.
In response, Surfrider Foundation Europe has launched an innovative three year research program on maritime transport, in partnership with a university and other actors.
Surfrider aligns itself with pollution's first victims: local coastal populations who are suffering due to the environmental crisis. We support both victims and actors in the defence and protection of our coasts and we utilize all available legal tools to prevent pollution.
Our research allows us to identify who is responsible and through which means actors (states, international institutions, NGOs...) can adress the problem of pollution.
Precaution: a durable legal tool for maritime transport
To anticipate risk made by the basis of the European Environmental politics through the precautionary principle (preventative) and the “polluter-pays” principle (dissuasive).
Maritime transport is very well known.Of growing importance is the traffic generated over the lasts years, and experts expect a 50% increase in actual traffic for 2010. We deplore the dredging of ports, port extensions which encroach upon the coast, pollution bound by navigation, and other illicit oil spills.
Given the actual economic circumstances, favourable in this activity sector, it appeared necessary for us to try to guell the multiplication of nuisances.
Our research projects aims at providing a tool to aid risk management for local communities and encourage the adoption of a proactive and respectful attitude towards the environment.
It aims in raising awareness and responsibility in all decision-makers on environmental impact of navigation through the exchange of ideas (meetings, workshops,…).
In this context, it is the ambition of Surfrider Foundation Europe to promote lasting management of the European Coast.
Our research aims at reinforcing maritime security and responsibility within everyone.
It also aims at ensuring better management of the risks relating to sailing/navigation thanks to precautionary and durable legal tools on maritime transport.
Our work is fed by realities which occur in this field and allows our NGO to bring concrete answers to the requests relating to the case of pollutions, problems over the management of part infrastructures or again, deliberate discharges into the sea.
Our project consists of both theoretical and concrete reflection on the future of being held to account by the law of varying pressure of human activity relating to maritime transport.
This set of problems is universal because of the ecological and intergenerational stakes that are involved. The global aim is economic growth legally reasoned by environmental preservation; concrete sustainable development enlightened by theoretical reflection on the applicability of precaution.
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