The impact of the “European Union‟s „Zero-waste, Zero-emission⇟ maritime transport policy” (and its related Transport/Environment regulations-Acquis) on the development of environment friendly maritime transportation in the world

With its 27 member states and 4 candidate countries, the European Union is the most ambitious political and economic integration movement, which also developed a binding supranational legal framework (Acquis Communautaire) in its geography. Particularly, the EU has generated an extensive legal framework for its member and candidate countries in the Environment and Transportation related areas. For environmental friendly maritime transportation, the EU has been trying to reduce the greenhouse gas emissions from shipping, improve the environmental quality of its marine waters, manage ship-generated waste and ship dismantling, reduce sulphur oxides and nitrogen oxides emissions from ships, and promote more ecological shipping for quite a long time. The EU has gradually developed a detailed regulatory framework in these areas and it started to screen their implementation in the member and candidate countries. The environment friendly maritime transportation policies and the regulations of the EU are briefly summarized as “Zero-waste, Zero-emission Maritime Transport Policy for Europe”. In this context, this paper will analyse this Zero-waste, Zero-emission policy of the European Union and the relevant legal framework (acquis), which can function as catalyst for the development of similar regimes at the global level (possibly, under the framework of International Maritime Organisation (IMO), or with the extension of the UN-FCCC's Kyoto protocol, or similar international agreements/treaties). It will also focus on the current success level of the EU policy making with regards to green shipping and environmental protection in the maritime related industries.