El caso de las plantas de celulosa sobre el río Uruguay: Sentencia de la Corte Internacional de Justicia de 20 de abril 2010

• Main Authors: José Juste Ruiz, Valentín Bou Franch
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Asociación Española de Profesores de Derecho Internacional y Relaciones Internacionales (AEPDIRI) 2011-01-01
• Series: Revista Electrónica de Estudios Internacionales
• Subjects: International environmental law; international water course; assessment of scientific data and burden of proof; procedural and substantive obligations; environmental impact assessment; used production technologies; discharges and water quality; biodiversity; harm liability; Derecho internacional ambiental; curso de aguas internacionales; valoración de datos científicos y carga de la prueba; obligaciones procesales y obligaciones sustantivas; estudio de impacto ambiental; tecnologías de producción utilizada; descargas y calidad de las aguas; biodiversidad; responsabilidad por daños
• Online Access: http://www.reei.org/index.php/revista/num21/articulos/caso-plantas-celulosa-sobre-rio-uruguay-sentencia-corte-internacional-justicia-20-abril-2010

The Judgement on the merits in the case concerning the Pulp Mills on the River Uruguay focuses on the dilemma of sustainable development, opposing the requirements of the economic development of a State versus the rights of protection of human and environmental health of another State facing the risks of transboundary harm resulting from industrial activities that, in addition, affect a shared natural resource like an international water course used for aims other than navigation. Although it is true that this Judgement contains statements of great environmental importance, at the same time it generates preoccupation due to the proactive attitude adopted by the International Court of Justice related to the industrial projects that give rise to potential environmental risks, settling all the disputed points in the most favourable way to the State promoting its execution