Basel Convention on the Control of Transboundry Movements of Hazardous Wastes and their Disposal

摘要

In the late 1980s, a tightening of environmental regulations in industrialized countries led to a dramatic rise in the cost of hazardous waste disposal. Searching for cheaper ways to get rid of the wastes traders began shipping hazardous waste to developing countries and to Eastern Europe. When this activity was revealed, international outrage led to the drafting and adoption of the Basel Convention. During its first decade (1989 -1999), the Convention was principally devoted to setting up a framework for controlling the "transboundary" movements of hazardous wastes, that is, the movement of hazardous wastes across international frontiers. It also developed the criteria for "environmentally sound management". A Control System, based on prior written notification, was also put into place.