CYPRUS Law and Practice Contributed by: Kyriacos Scordis and Sofi Mylona, SCORDIS PAPAPETROU & Co LLC
of the Marine Environment and the Coastal Re - gion of the Mediterranean 1975 (the “Barcelona Convention”) and its amendments; (d) the International Convention for the Establish - ment of an International Fund for Compensa - tion for Oil Pollution Damage of 1971, and its Protocols of 1976 and 1992 and subsequent amendments; (e) the International Convention on the Prevention of Marine Pollution by Dumping of Wastes and other Matter 1972 (the “London Convention”), as amended (Law No 203/1988); (f) the International Convention for the Preven - tion of Pollution from Ships 1973 (MARPOL), as amended by Protocol 1978 and its Amend - ments; (g) the Basel Convention on the Control of Trans - boundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal 1989 (the “Basel Conven - tion”); (h) the International Convention on Civil Liability for Bunker Oil Pollution Damage 2001 (BUN - KER); and (i) the International Convention on Liability and Compensation for Damage in Connection with the Carriage of Hazardous and Noxious substances by Sea 1996 (HNS) (Law No 21 (III)/2004). • EU law: (a) the Waste Directive 1975/442/EEC; (b) Directive 2004/35/CE on environmental liabil - ity regarding the prevention and remedying of environmental damage; (c) Regulation (EU) No 1257/2013 on ship recy - cling; and (d) Directive (EU) 2016/802, relating to a reduction in the sulphur content of certain liquid fuels. Regarding wreck removal, the Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks 2007 (Law No 12 (III)/2015) entered into force in Cyprus on 22 Octo - ber 2015 and requires ships – both Cyprus-flagged and those calling at Cyprus ports – to attest that their insurance will cover any expenses incurred in the removal of a ship that becomes a wreck, or in the removal of a ship that poses a threat to the environ - ment. The Wrecks Law Cap 298 regulates wrecks in Cyprus.
Regarding both wreck removal and pollution, Cyprus is a signatory and a state party to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea 1982 (UNCLOS). 3.2 International Conventions: Collision and Salvage For collision cases, the International Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules of Law with respect to Collisions between Vessels and Protocol of Signa - ture (Brussels, 23 September 1910) was extended to Cyprus on 1 February 1913 when it was still a Brit - ish colony, and still remains in force today. Also, the Maritime Convention Act of 1911, derived from UK law, applies to Cyprus by virtue of Articles 19 (a) and 29 (2)(a) of the Cyprus Courts of Justice Law of 1960, as amended. The following have also been ratified by Cyprus: • the International Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules Concerning Civil Jurisdiction in Mat - ters of Collision of 1952 (Law No 31 (III)/1993); • the International Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules Relating to Penal Jurisdiction in Matters of Collision or other Incidents of Navigation 1952 (Law No 32 (III)/1993); and • the International Regulations for Preventing Colli - sions at Sea, 1972 (COLREGs) (Law No 18/1980), as amended. The legislation in relation to salvage is: • the Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules of Law relating to Assistance and Salvage at Sea and Protocol of Signature (Brussels, 23 September 1910) (extended to Cyprus on 1 February 1913); and • Part III of the Wrecks Law, Chapter 298. 3.3 Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims The Convention on Limitation of Liability for Maritime Claims of 1976 (the “LLMC Convention”) and its Pro - tocol of 1996 was ratified by Cyprus, by virtue of Law 20 (III)/2005. Furthermore, the Merchant Shipping (Ship-Owners’ Insurance for Maritime Claims) Law of 2012 (Law
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