Pollution of International Watercourses - Inland Water Pollution

Seminar Paper , 1994 , 12 Pages , Grade: 2

Politics - Environmental Policy

Inland water pollution is not a recent phenomena, and is documented throughout history.
The general rules and law have therefore a long lasting tradition, but were seriously redrafted in the 20th century. Upon the Harmon Doctrin a considerable international standard of soft law is under development within the UN System as well as at a multilateral and a bilateral basis. Beside that a whole set of academic principles has been developed.
Due to this developement, there a a series of principles in the Agenda 21, the Helsinki rules, Helsinki Convention and the Council of Europe.
Examples of regional agreements in North America and Western and Central Europe are briefly described.
As regards the EU the situation presented does not consider the European Framework Directive Water, but the situation leading to the development of of this legal framework.

Table of Content:

1. Introduction

2. Rules and laws dealing with the problem
2.1. Soft law
2.1.1. Helsinki rules about the use of water from international watercourses
2.1.2. UN Convention on the protection and use of transboundary watercourses and international lakes (Helsinki Convention)
2.1.3. Convention for the protection of international watercourses of the Council of Europe
2.1.4. Basic rules of the ECE about the prevention and battle against water pollution including border-crossing pollution
2.2. Examples of bilateral and multilateral agreements on watercourses and drainage basins
2.2.1. Declaration about the cooperation of the Danube States in questions of water management, especially the protection of the water of River Danube against pollution
2.2.2. Lake Constance
2.2.3. River Rhine
2.2.4. Canada and USA
2.2.5. Legislation of the European Community

3. Conclusions

4. Literature

• College: University of Vienna (Institut für Völkerrecht)
• Course: Konversatorium Internationale Environmental Policy
• Grade: 2
• Author: Mag. Ing. Ferdinand Kaser EUR ING EPB (Author)
• Year: 1994
• Pages: 12
• Catalog Number: V211765
• ISBN (eBook): 9783656398189
• ISBN (Book): 9783656398837
• Language: English
• Tags: pollution, international, watercourses, inland, water