ABSTRACT
This chapter helps to understand the recent developments in marine governance of the North Sea as different patterns of regionalization. It distinguishes between three patterns of regionalization: regionalization through cooperation of governmental actors at the level of the North Sea; regionalization through the empowerment of non-governmental actors at the level of the North Sea and regionalization as an organizing principle for activities and planning on the North Sea. The purpose of the Oslo and Paris (OSPAR) Convention was to create a comprehensive regime in a single legal instrument for the protection of the marine environment of the North-east Atlantic and Arctic oceans from pollution by the previously covered sources. Marine governance of the North Sea refers to the sharing of policy-making competences of governments, international organizations, the European Union (EU), non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and market parties to govern activities in the North Sea and to control their consequences, such as environmental or spatial problems and conflicts.
