Protocol to the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and other Matter
The 1996 Protocol to the Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and other Matter currently ratified as of 2012 by 42 State Parties has a number of modifying effects on the original convention. One of the most significant changes to the 1972 convention is the requirement of State Parties to follow a precautionary approach which has led to the requirement for organisations which engage in waste disposal bearing the responsibility of doing so in a safe and controlled manner. Furthermore, in contrast to the original convention State Parties are now only allowed to dump waste materials from a specific list in Annex I. Previously, State Parties were previously allowed to dump any substance provided it was not on the aforementioned list. The reversing of the list represents the general tightening of restrictions and the shift towards a more transparent anti-pollution regime. These amendments, together with the prohibition on the export of waste to other countries for the purposes of disposal at sea, form the core of the protocol’s alterations. The Protocol to the Convention entered into force on March 24 2006 and forms an integral part of the anti-pollution at sea framework.