Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage resulting from Exploration for and Exploitation of Seabed Mineral Resources Document type Multilateral Field of application Regional/restricted Date May 1, 1977 Source IUCN (ID: TRE-000434) Title (French) Convention sur la responsabilité pour les dommages de pollution par les hydrocarbures résultant de la recherche et de l'exploitation des ressources minérales du sous-sol marin Title (Other) Internationales Übereinkommen über die zivilrechtliche Haftung für Ölverschmutzungsschäden durch die Erforschung nach und die Ausbeutung von mineralischen Bodenschätzen auf dem Meeresgrund Place of adoption London Depository United Kingdom Language English, French Subject Waste & hazardous substances, Mineral resources, Sea Keyword Jurisdictional competence Hazardous waste Deep sea bed Exploration Liability/compensation Marine pollution (ship-based sources) Minerals Oil pollution Oil Legal proceedings/administrative proceedings Hazardous substances Geographical area Arctic Abstract Objective: To ensure that adequate compensation is available to victims of pollution damage resulting from offshore activities. Summary of provisions: The damage must originate beyond the coastal low-water line of a State Party, and be suffered in the territory, including the internal and territorial waters, of such a State, or in the areas in which it has sovereign rights over natural resources (art. 2). Liability rests on the operator of the installation from which such damage originates and extends five years after the abandonment of such installation as defined by the Convention (art. 3). The operator is to be exonerated, wholly or in part, if he can prove the damage was caused by an act or omission of the victim with the intent to cause damage, or by the victim s negligence. Liability of the operator is limited for each installation and each incident, unless damage caused by deliberate act of the operator himself (art. 6). Parties that are operators of a polluting installation undertake to waive all defences based on sovereignty (art. 13). (Source: IUCN ELC, 08.2005, based on UNEP Register of International Treaties and Other Agreements in the Field of the Environment, 1996) Full text English Website www.fco.gov.uk treaties.fco.gov.uk Country/Territory/Participant See Expanded View Show Map Countries Entry into force Simple signature Germany - Apr 28, 1978 Ireland - Apr 27, 1978 Netherlands - May 4, 1977 Norway - May 4, 1977 Sweden - May 11, 1977 United Kingdom - May 4, 1977 reset zoom out zoom in Other references Literature 3 records related to this treaty. View literature