How Have European Union Regulation Tools on Maritime Safety Developed After the Prestige Catastrophe? A Special Reference to Spain

Maritime transport (specially when it comes to carrying hydrocarbons and dangerous products) is included in the economic globalisation process. The Prestige accident in the Galician coast, Spain, has shown the existence of significant failures on part of both the market and the public sector, which leads to conclude that maritime security should be considered as a global public good. Consequently, this paper shows the advances and the still unfinished tasks according to the aforementioned view, mainly in the European Union.