A Study On The System Of Liability Insurance Of Oil Pollution Caused By Vessels

Risks of oil pollution in global sea transportation increasingly rise with the increase of oil transportation. Especially over the last several years, China saw a surge of oil consumption and has become the world’s second largest oil import country. Frequent sea transportation of oil has increasingly deteriorated oil pollution of our sea. For the purpose of protecting ocean environment, international society and main nations all make great effort, including but not limited to perfecting the system of civil liability of compensation for oil pollution. Liability insurance of oil pollution caused by vessels, as the important part of the system of compensation for oil pollution, play the important role in the aspect of provide the higher compensation for the victims and recover the ocean environment. But for a long time, our legislation of this aspect is not perfect.With the enactment of the Regulation of P.R.C. Prevention and Management of Vessel-Induced Sea Pollution and the Measures of the P.R.C. for the Implementation of Civil Liability Insurance for Vessel-Induced Oil Pollution Damage, our system of liability insurance of oil pollution caused by vessels has relatively clear legal basis. So it is necessary to review and modify the theory of the compulsory insurance system, which is the aim of this article.Chapter1, the author introduces the theory of liability insurance of oil pollution, including the theory basis, features and functions.Chapter2, the author introduces the regulations of liability insurance of oil pollution in the international conventions and other country’s legislations and summarizes the experience we can get.Chapter3, the author studies the content of the system of liability insurance of oil pollution caused by vessels in our new legal background and points out the problems on the subject, the application scope, liability limitation and direct action.Chapter4, the author gives some suggestions on perfecting our system of liability insurance of oil pollution caused by vessels.