RT info:eu-repo/semantics/bookPart T1 LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL CHALLENGES OF THE TRANSITION TO THE EXPLOITATION PHASE OF MINERAL RESOURCES IN THE ‘AREA’ A1 Salamanca Aguado, María Esther K1 Law of the Sea Convention - Implementation Agreement - Common Heritage of Mankind - International Seabed Authority - Deep-sea mining - Mining Code - Environmental Regional Management Plans. AB After thirty years of functioning, the International Seabed Authority faces the most important moment in its history: the conclusion of the elaboration of the Mining Code, which regulates the exploitation activities in the Area. The Area and its resources are the common heritage of humankind, and the Authority has the mandate of administering its resources for the benefit of humanity. In view of the announcement that an application for a Plan of Work for exploitation will soon be submitted, this chapter analyses the legal and institutional aspects of the Exploitation Regulations still under negotiation. It also considers the potential implications for the Legal and Technical Commission and the Council if they were to make a decision in the absence of a legal framework ensuring the equitable exploitation of the mineral resources of the Area and the effective protection of the marine environment. PB Springer Nature Switzerland SN 978-3-031-92736-2 YR 2025 FD 2025 LK https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/82254 UL https://uvadoc.uva.es/handle/10324/82254 LA eng NO Salamanca, M. E. (2025). Legal and institutional aspects of the transition to the exploitation phase of mineral resources in the Area. En R. Sharma (Ed.), DeepSea Mining Management, Policy and Regulation: Data Management, Environmental Monitoring, Techno-Economic Assessment, Law of the Sea and Regulatory Regimes (pp. 485-523). DS UVaDOC RD 28-mar-2026