Should the Republic of Croatia Ratify the 2010 International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea?

Abstract

Sustav građanskopravne odgovornosti za štete nastale onečišćenjem mora s brodova na međunarodnoj razini još uvijek nije potpun, jer na snagu nije stupila Međunarodna konvencija o odgovornosti i naknadi štete u svezi prijevoza opasnih i štetnih tvari morem iz 2010. Konvenciju je potvrdilo osam država, a tri su države za znatnom količinom kontribuirajućeg tereta u završnom postupku pripremnih radnji za njezino potvrđivanje, pa se može očekivati da će Konvencija u doglednoj budućnosti skupiti 12 država stranaka i time ispuniti uvjete za stupanje na snagu. Povećan promet opasnih i štetnih tvari morem na području Republike Hrvatske i povećan rizik koje takav promet sa sobom nosi svakako nameću potrebu preispitivanja potrebe za potvrđivanjem ove Konvencije svakoj državi, a posebice onim državama kojih je gospodarstvo oslonjeno na prihode iz obalnog turizma, kao što je Republika Hrvatska. U radu se skreće pozornost na fragmentarno uređenje ove materije u nacionalnom pravu te se daje prikaz konvencijskih rješenja, primjena kojih bi osigurala pravičnu i učinkovitu naknadu za sve štete nastale prijevozom opasnih i štetnih tvari morem. Konvencija predviđa dvoslojni sustav odgovornosti – uz vlasnika broda, u drugom sloju odgovara HNS fond. Autori su snažnog uvjerenja da bi Republika Hrvatska trebala započeti s pripremnim radnjama koje je potrebno provesti prije potvrđivanja Konvencije, vezanima uz uspostavu sustava za izvješćivanje o primateljima tereta i količini tereta koji podliježe plaćanju doprinosa prema Fondu, a potom Konvenciju i potvrditi.The international liability regime for damage caused by marine pollution from ships is not yet complete, as the 2010 International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious Substances by Sea has not yet entered into force. The Convention has been ratified by eight countries and another three countries have taken significant steps in completing the final preparations for its ratification, so it is expected that the Convention will have 12 states parties in the near future, thus meeting the requirements for entry into force. The increase in the trafficking of hazardous and noxious substances by sea and the increased risks posed by such trafficking certainly call for an assessment of the need to ratify this Convention for all countries, and especially for those countries whose economy is based on income from coastal tourism, such as the Republic of Croatia. The paper highlights the fragmented regulation of this matter in Croatian national law and offers solutions, the application of which would guarantee adequate, prompt and effective compensation for all damages caused by the transport of hazardous and noxious substances by sea. The Convention provides for a two-tier liability system: in addition to the shipowner, the HNS Fund is responsible in the second tier. The authors strongly believe that the Republic of Croatia should start with the preparatory actions to be carried out prior to the ratification of the Convention, concerning the establishment of a reporting system on the recipients of goods and the amount of goods subject to the payment of contributions to the Fund, and then ratify the Convention