The International Trade in Hazardous Wastes and Its Economic Background

Abstract

Before providing an examination of the existing legal framework governing the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes by sea and prior to an assessment of the particular provisions of the Protocol to the Basel Convention, it is necessary to first outline the practical circumstances of the underlying problem area and the typical constellations of hazardous waste shipments by sea. Consequently, at the outset of this work a whole series of questions arise: What is the practical significance of hazardous waste movements and what amounts of wastes are shipped across the globe? What are the economic drivers and the interests of the parties involved? Which economic and political impulses influence States, economies and private players? How does ``hazardous waste shipment'' typically take place? And at what point might liability function as a trigger to correct possible misconduct by the parties involved? A brief introduction to these issues shall be given in this second chapter.