2007. 12. 허베이 스피리트호 사고가 발생한 이후 유류오염손해배상법제에 관하여 많은 문제점이 제기되어 왔다. 특히나 손해배상의 인정범위와 배상의 신속성에 많은 비판이 집중되었다. 현행 유류오염배상법제에 대한 이런 문제제기에 따라 본 논문에서는 유류오염배상법제의 근간을 이루고 있는 국제유류오염배상체제를 살펴보고 동 체제가 가지는 문제점을 지적한다. 그리고 현행 유류오염배상법제에서 사실상 배상범위에 포함되지 않고 있는 유류오염에 따른 환경손해에 관하여 검토한다. 환경손해의 정의와 유류오염배상법제와 환경손해의 관계에 대한 각국의 입법상황을 분석하고 유류오염에 따른 환경손해를 배상의 대상으로 인정하려는 각국의 입법추세를 확인한다. 이러한 일련의 분석을 통하여 현행 유류오염배상법제 개선을 위해서는 국제기금과는 별개의 국내기금을 도입하는 것이 필요하다는 점을 강조한다. 그리고 유류오염배상법제의 개선방안으로서 도입이 필요한 국내기금제도에 관하여 보다 상세한 정책적 제안을 한다.여기에는 기금의 설치 및 재원조성방안, 기금의 관리주체 및 운영방안, 기금의 권한 및 관련된 분쟁해결수단 등이 포함된다. 그리고 국내기금에서 유류오염에 따른 환경손해도 원칙적으로 배상의 대상으로 포함하고 그러한 경우 누가 환경손해배상청구권을 가져야 하는지에 대하여 현행 헌법과 법률에 따라 국가와 지방자치단체가 청구권자가 되어야 함을 설명한다. 이와 같이 본 논문은 현행 유류오염배상법제의 문제점을 분석하고 그에 대한 개선방안으로서 국내기금제도를 제안하며 구체적으로 국내기금의 운영방안에 관한 정책적 제언을 하려고 한다.
After the Hebei Spirit oil spill accident, we recognized that some problems in our guarantee regime on the compensation for oil pollution damage were significant. These problems were categorized into different two characteristics which were comprised of not to remedy properly for victims and to delay payment for compensation. These problems were due to the international framework for the oil pollution damage compensation system. Therefore, this article reviews the international regimes and point out the problems. In addition, present regimes on the compensation for oil pollution damage exclude environmental damage caused by oil spill accident from oil pollution damages. Thus this article analyses environmental damage caused by oil spill and performs comparative legal study on the inclusion of environmental damage as a oil pollution damage in EU, U.S.A., and EU member states. In this analysis and comparative legal research, we found that there were legislative tendency to include environmental damage into the oil pollution damages.In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and environmental damages caused by oil spill, we emphatically recommend that the introduction of national oil pollution fund is a only resonable solution. Because existing oil pollution compensation system is a fundamental cause, independent national oil pollution fund is suitable for a policy alternative.When the national oil pollution fund is introducing, the method of collecting fund revenue is composed of government contributions, oil levy to be paid oil industry, existing enforceable related levy. The national oil pollution fund that receives funds from establishing new oil levy is a reasonable policy for Polluter-Pays Principal. Futhermore, operation of the national oil pollution fund have to follow the rule of korean financial law. It is a resonable that to operate the national fund trusts assigns the new establishing fund authority. Like legislative tendency to include environmental damage caused by oil spill into oil pollution damage, the national oil pollution fund is required to compensation for environmental damage caused by oil spill. However, available environmental damages is restricted to the extent that comprise primary remediation cost and complementary remediation cost. Both interim losses and assessing cost exclude available environmental damage caused by oil spill. As early stage of the introduction of national oil pollution fund, broad inclusion of environmental damage caused by oil spill may be used to reason for opponent to national oil pollution fund. Reclaimant for environmental damages caused by oil spill against the national oil pollution fund is only trustee that is composed of state and local government.