The focus of this publication is the uniqueness of the Baltic Sea from a legal perspective, and the regulatory voids that result from the multiple layers of regulation this area is subjected to: up to six layers of regulation (general international law, regional conventions, EU law, national laws, local and municipal rules plus a whole range of non-binding norms and other 'soft law' arrangements) act in parallel. However, a large number of rules or regulatory layers does not in itself ensure effectiveness or consistency. When the regulatory landscape is approached from the point of view of individual substantive topics, it is apparent that the norms of different regulatory layers entail both overlaps, gaps and uncertainties, differently for each topic. This publication addresses a selection of topics that are decidedly international in nature, but for which current international and EU rules include important gaps or uncertainties. In addition to presenting a set of legal analyses of topical issues for the region, which in itself is a meritorious objective in view of the relative scarcity of legal studies with a focus on the Baltic Sea, the publication also seeks to analyze the regulatory 'anatomy' of the selected issues in more detail. Through the legal analyses the chapters explore how regulatory gaps are formed, how they are filled, how the rules of the different layers work together and interact with each other in the selected areas. Accordingly, the secondary ambition is to explore, through the chapters, whether more general conclusions can be drawn about the nature of the regulatory gaps and multi-layerism in order to produce a better understanding of how regulations on multiple levels operate in practice.

High Seas Governance: Gaps and Challenges identifies gaps in and challenges to the existing legal regime in the protection and preservation of the marine environment of the high seas, including sensitive marine areas. The gaps identified in the book include the failure of liability and compensation schemes to cover pollution of the high seas and the fact that no state has the responsibility to clean up pollution of the high seas. One common theme of the book is that it is necessary to identify a state other than flag states, port states or coastal states, which should have an obligation to exercise jurisdiction and control over certain activities on the high seas.

This edited volume presents a comprehensive and coherent interdisciplinary analysis of challenges and possibilities for sustainable governance of the Baltic Sea ecosystem by combining knowledge and approaches from natural and social sciences. Focusing on the Ecosystem Approach to Management (EAM) and associated multi-level, multi-sector and multi-actor challenges, the book provides up-to-date descriptions and analyses of environmental governance structures and processes at the macro-regional Baltic Sea level. Organised in two parts, Part 1 presents in-depth case studies of environmental governance practices and challenges linked to five key environmental problems - eutrophication, chemical pollution, overfishing, oil discharges and invasive species. Part 2 analyses and compares governance challenges and opportunities across the five case studies, focusing on governance structures and EAM implementation, knowledge integration and science support, as well as stakeholder communication and participation. Based on these cross-case comparisons, this book also draws a set of general conclusions on possible ways of improving the governance of the Baltic Sea by promoting what are identified as vital functions of environmental governance: coordination, integration, interdisciplinarity, precaution, deliberation, communication and adaptability.

This comprehensive handbook provides a detailed and unique overview of current thinking about marine governance in the context of global environmental change. Many of the most profound impacts of global environmental change, and climate change in particular, will occur in the oceans​. It is vital that we consider the​ role of marine​ governance in adapting to and mitigating these impacts. This comprehensive handbook provides a thorough review of current thinking about marine environmental governance, including law and policy, in the context of global environmental change. Initial chapters describe international law, regimes, and leadership in marine environmental governance, in the process considering how existing regimes for climate change and the oceans should and can be coordinated. This is followed by an exploration of the role of non-state actors, including scientists, nongovernmental organisations, and corporations. The next section includes a collection of chapters highlighting governance schemes in a variety of marine environments and regions, including coastlines, islands, coral reefs, the open ocean, and regional seas. Subsequent chapters examine emerging issues in marine governance, including plastic pollution, maritime transport, sustainable development, environmental justice, and human rights. Providing a definitive overview, the Routledge Handbook of Marine Governance and Global Environmental Change is suitable for advanced students in marine and environmental governance, ​environmental law and policy, and climate change, as well as practitioners, activists, stakeholders​, and others concerned about the world’s oceans and seas.

This article explores the legal framework under international, European and national law for various measures aimed at improving the marine environment of the Baltic Sea by reducing the leakage of phosphorus from the seabed.

This book explores the role of the European Union (EU) in the cooperation and regulation of the Baltic Sea Region (BSR), from both an institutional and substantive perspective. It particularly focuses on the role of the Union in advancing the broader marine governance framework in the region. Questions investigated include: in what way does the Union participate in, or otherwise influence, the activities of States, international organisations and other actors involved in BSR cooperation and regulation, and what is the importance and substantive outcome of the Union's specific role in this respect? How has the membership of eight out of nine Baltic Sea coastal States in the EU affected cooperation in the region, in terms of substance as well as procedure, and what is the influence of the BSR over the EU? These questions are discussed from different perspectives by leading experts in both the fields of EU law and the law of the BSR.

An exploration of the legal features compatibility with the theories of social-ecological resilience and their applicability for effective governance frameworks.