ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the relocation of ship-breaking industries from the North to the South. It considers the problems associated with the movement of toxic ships from developed to developing countries and underscores the ineffectiveness of regulatory mechanisms at the national level. Based on foregoing discussion on the ship-recycling trade, the North-South dimension on trade injustice is evident. The Commission will assess the applications received from the ship recycling facilities located in third countries and, for facilities located in the European Union (EU) Member States, it will be done by national authorities. The toxic trade issue reveals a deep chasm between developed and developing countries as large quantities of waste are exported to the developing world which lacks capacity to dispose of it safely or to recycle it in an environmentally safe manner. The toxic trade regime, as the discussion below highlights, is weak in integrating environmental principles such as common-but-differentiated responsibility, the precautionary principle, and the polluter pays principle.
