Compétences communautaires en matière de protection de l'environnement marin-lutte contre la pollution

Today, the marine environment is threatened. It is in danger ... of death. This fact is not a new one, but it is growing worse, and the seas where the maritime traffic and littoral activities are the heaviest (i.e. the seas along the European coasts) are the most affected by pollution. Of course, the international community takes measures. But the unilateral acts of the States, the lack of compelling power of the international organizations considerably limit those actions and raise the problem of the E.E.C. competences relating to the struggle against the sea pollution. As a matter of Eact, the E.E.C. as an international organization of nine European States and as an organ with compelling power could in an original way help to the protection of the sea environment. But, have the E.E.C. the legal power to act in this field, and in the affirmative can they be effective ? In spite of the silence of the Treaty of Rome concerning the E.E.C., the setting up of a community programme about the protection of the environment has brought a positive answer to the first question. However, some doubts remain for the second. Therefore, we had, and it is the object of Our work, to examine the intensity of the powers given to the E.E.C. We must analyse their forms, the fields to which they apply, and the juridical means which are at their disposa1 ? But, this work would be incomplete and unsuitable to the "communautary dynamics" if it was not deepened by a research of the possibilities of development of these powers. These two aspects of the problem will be dealt successively in this work. [NOT CONTROLLED OCR]