ABSTRACT

UK and Norwegian experiences in setting standards for oil pollution in the North Sea are compared. Issues include the relevant bodies setting such standards, the bodies who would be expected to be involved but are not, the information base and links, the actual standards set, their effectiveness and the analyses used. The paper notes the conceptual framework used in research on the above issues. Areas of convergence and divergence between the patterns of UK and Norwegian decisionmaking are noted where the standards themselves converge while the process for setting them has diverged.