The Tisza River Catastrophe, 2000-2001

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the diplomatic tug-of-war that followed the January 2000 cyanide spill that began in Romania and entered the Tisza River in Hungary through the greater Danube River system. The paper shows that throughout the affair, both Romania and Hungary emphasized the need for clear, defined international legal agreements that would govern responsibility in the case of a trans-boundary environmental catastrophe. It also shows how, Romania used the absence of such an agreement to defend its position that it was free of liability in the matter.

From the Paper:

"The Tisza River catastrophe, aside from yielding irreversible ecological damage to the river basin area, has had severe repercussions for Romanian-Hungarian relations. While Romania and Hungary, both with designs on joining the European Union and attracting increased foreign investment, attempted to create an image of cooperation in dealing with the disaster, relations between the two countries became strained over issues of blame. The Hungarian government was vague in its demand for compensation, noting that it might not be able to hold the Austrian firm involved in the spill directly responsible. Even Hungary's position on whether to sue Romania was initially uncertain. A desire to promote an international image of stability led both countries to downplay the disaster and cloak the international dispute, but at the same time the Hungarian government had to contend with an outraged Hungarian population."

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