The Mediterranean exclusive economic zones

Résumé du document

Water is the most vital and essential element on earth. Water is synonymous to life as it is this liquid that controls life especially on planet Earth. As water composes nearly everything on planet earth, it is most often believed that water constitutes nearly 70% on earth. The 70% is covered up through the existing and emerging seas and oceans. Indeed in the present age, it is the seas and oceans that provide a lot of living and non-living resources that enable a large part of humankind to live (90% of the world's total fish catch come from the seas. In other words, the fisheries industry is a boom through the constitution of water). Through this, one can infer and comprehend the reason for humankind's settlement along the coasts as it promotes economic growth to a large extent. If fragmented, the economic interests comprise of tourism, trade, energy and so on and so forth... Furthermore, shipping is nowadays largely used for transporting goods (import and export), so it has accordingly assumed a significant role in the development of world trade and thereby impacting globalization. However, the constant discovery of new technologies creates an urge to stretch the limits of exploitation of marine mineral resources deeper and deeper. In order to illustrate the importance of oceans, we can quote Adel Omar Alsied's description: ?As the backbone of international commerce, oceans and seas are vital to homeland security, transportation trade, environmental and scientific research, historical and cultural heritage.'

Extraits

[...] The solution could be to overcome loss of access thanks to conclusion of bilateral agreements especially when the establishment of such an EFZ could seriously have strong and catastrophic economic and social effects on other States and their nationals. For instance, the coastal State declaring an EFZ can recognize historical fishing rights for vessels coming from specified States. Still, one question should be answered: How should the Mediterranean States delimit their zone boundaries? By 2005, seventeen Mediterranean States had ratified the UNCLOS, two had signed it and two did not (Turkey and Israel). [...]

[...] Thus, there are successful cases where many boundaries had been settled by agreements between Mediterranean States. For instance, concerning the continental shelf: 1986 Libya-Malta agreement for implementing the Judgement of ICJ, the 1988 Libya-Tunisia case, the 1977 Greece-Italy case, the 1971 Tunisia-Italy case, the 1970 Yugoslavia-Italy case and the 1974 Spain-Italy case; concerning the territorial sea: the France-Monaco agreement, the 1986 France-Italy case and the 1975 Yugoslavia-Italy case; and concerning the EEZ: the 2003 Cyprus-Egypt agreement. Finally, co- operation and coordination seems to be the optimal solution in order to protect the Mediterranean Sea, its resources and its coasts, by creating a sole space, which means a harmonization of all the initiatives as promoted in the report of the COPEMED project that called for a deeper cooperation for the establishment of fishery legislation in Mediterranean waters. [...]

[...] but the real need of the Mediterranean Sea remains a harmonized system with common rules for all Mediterranean States in order to protect the sea which is a source of livelihood for millions of people . Bibliography and documentary sources United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea OMAR ALSIED, Adel, Delimitation of maritime boundaries with special reference to the EEZ and the IMO conventions regime: A Libyan case study, United Nations the Nippon Foundation of Japan, June 2006 BYRNES, Richard and BASHAT, Hazam, Egyptian Exclusive Economic Zone, www.EEZInternational.com, Environmental issues, p110-112 CHEVALIER Claudiane, Governance of the Mediterranean Sea, IUCN Centre for Mediterranean Cooperation, Malaga (Spain) Application de la convention de 1992 portant création du fonds à la zone économique exclusive ou à une zone désignée en vertu de l'article 3a)ii) de la convention de 1992 portant création du fonds, Fonds International d'Indemnisation de 1992 pour les dommages dus à la pollution par les hydrocarbures, 92FUND/A.7/20/1, September 2002. [...]

[...] The Mediterranean is also the source of livelihood for thousands of fishermen and is the leading tourist destination in the world. Needless to say, oil spills would spell ruin for both sectors”. Yet, today, as far as it can be established, it appears that the Egyptian declaration has not been followed by implementing legislation yet. In 2004, Cyprus declared an EEZ. France and Spain also declared such a zone off their coasts but they have indicated that it does not apply to the Mediterranean waters. [...]

[...] General concept of the Exclusive Economic Zone 4 b. Problems linked to delimitation The Mediterranean Case: between conflicts and cooperation 9 a. The declaration of an EEZ in the Mediterranean Sea: problems of delimitation vs. duties of coastal States 9 b. Single initiatives or collective ones to reach an “equitable solution” 12 Conclusion 14 Bibliography and documentary sources 15 Introduction Water is one of the first elements to live and enable life on Earth. It composes nearly everything on this planet, for that reason we often say that the Earth is constituted by, at least of water. [...]