MASTER OF ARTS IN ISLANDS AND SMALL STATES STUDIES
ASSIGNMENT TITLES FOR SEMESTER 2 (2015/16)
Study Unit: ISS5004- International Environmental Law and Environmental Diplomacy
As course work, students will be expected to respond to 4 assignments set by the lecturers
(circa 2000 words). Kindly note that the footnotes are excluding the 2000 words.
Deadline:- Thursday 9th June 2016 at 12.00 (however students are advised to complete
these assignments earlier, so as not to spread the load over the whole semester).
Clearly indicate the assignment question on your work. No assignments will be accepted by
e-mail and no plagiarism will be tolerated.
(1a) Discuss the initiatives taken by the international community to protect the atmosphere.
OR
(1b) Examine the main international conventions whose purpose is to protect the marine environment from
pollution.
(2) The Basel convention contains an intricate mechanism to control the transhipment of hazardous waste.
Discuss.
(3) Explain the Role of the European Institutions together with Member States, in the adoption of
environmental policy within the EU. Is harmonized implementation of such laws being actually achieved
within all the Member States?
(4) Enhancement of the economy and the protection of the environment are both needed for the sustainable
development of a state. Can these two principles be integrated together or do they conflict with each other?
Discuss.
(5a) The Aarhus Convention establish the right for individuals to ask for environmental information, to have
access to participation in environmental decision making and to have justice in environmental matters.
Discuss.
OR
(5b)The Environment Impact Assessment Directive has the scope, to protect the environment and also to
involve public participation before a public or private project is rejected or accepted. Discuss.
(6a) “The Habitats Directive (together with the Birds Directive) forms the cornerstone of Europe's nature
conservation policy. It is built around two pillars: the Natura 2000 network of protected sites and the strict
system of species protection. All in all the Directive protects over 1,000 animals and plant species and over
200 so called "habitat types" (e.g. special types of forests, meadows, wetlands, etc.), which are of European
importance.” Kindly elaborate further on this statement, indicating how these two Directives legally ensure
habitat and species protection in Malta and the European Union.
OR
(6b) Discuss the main obligations emanating from the Climate Change Convention and its Kyoto Protocol.