| The European Community (EC) and its Member States have competencies in the environmental field. This may affect the implementation of their obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (LOS Convention) concerning the protection and preservation of the marine environment in two ways. The EC may adopt legislation on the same subject matter as global and regional organizations in the field of the marine environment, leading to duplication and inconsistencies, impacting on its Member States. Secondly, uncertainty or dispute about the division of competencies between the EC and its Member States may negatively affect the decision making process in such international organizations. The research intends to establish how these consequences of shared competencies impact on the implementation of the LOS Convention in the field of the marine environment, especially looking at relevant global and regional organizations in which the EC |
