Results

The regionalization of maritime governance

Van Leeuwen, Judith. “The regionalization of maritime governance: Towards a polycentric governance system for sustainable shipping in the European Union.” Ocean & Coastal Management. 117. (2015): 23-31.

As a result of a dissatisfaction  with the ambitions and enforcement mechanisms of the IMO, regionally based organizations have formed between EU member states for addressing the gaps in maritime governance. This article highlights how maritime governance is moving from a centralized, intergovernmental system towards a more polycentric governance model consisting of strongly connected loci of authority sharing the objective of making shipping more sustainable. The article concludes that while international organizations such as the IMO continue to play a central role in shipping governance, regionalization within maritime governance has been instrumental in increasing the overall effectiveness of maritime governance, both in terms of setting stricter environmental standards as well as increasing enforcement.

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