Continental shelf boundary agreements between the states with opposite or adjacent coasts in the Mediterranean

Dvostranim sporazumima između država čije obale leže sučelice ili međusobno graniče do danas je u Sredozemnome moru konačno definirano samo deset crta razgraničenja epikontinentskih pojaseva. U ovome radu analizira se sadržaj svakog od tih ugovora i ukazuje na potrebu utvrđivanja brojnih novih granica sredozemnoga morskoga dna i podzemlja, posebice s obzirom na sve veću gospodarsku važnost njegovih prirodnih bogatstava. Toj analizi prethodi istraživanje primjene konvencijskih pravila o vanjskim granicama epikontinentskog pojasa u nacionalnim propisima obalnih država. Kao najaktivnija sredozemna zemlja u određivanju granica podmorja ističe se Republika Italija. Uz usvajanje detaljnih propisa o vanjskim granicama epikontinentskog pojasa, Italija je zaključila i pet sporazuma o njegovom razgraničenju sa susjednim državama - s bivšom Jugoslavijom, Tunisom, Španjolskom, Grčkom i Albanijom. Uz te ugovore razmatraju se i temeljne značajke dvaju sporazuma koji provode presude Međunarodnog suda pravde (Libija - Tunis i Libija - Malta) te kriteriji razgraničenja epikontinentskog pojasa primijenjeni u ugovorima o jedinstvenoj morskoj granici između Bugarske i Turske te Francuske i Monaka. Predmet analize je i crta razgraničenja epikontinentskih pojaseva utvrđena sporazumom između Turske i bivšega Sovjetskog Saveza 1978., koja je devet godina kasnije postala granicom i njihovih gospodarskih pojaseva. Cilj ovoga izlaganja nije samo dati pregled svih dosada sporazumno utvrđenih granica epikontinentskih pojaseva u Sredozemlju, nego i pokušati odgovoriti na pitanje - trebaju li već postojeće granice koje su bile dogovorene za morsko dno, postati i granice voda nad morskim dnom. To je pitanje od posebne važnosti za buduće razgraničenje gospodarskog pojasa odnosno zaštićenoga ekološko-ribolovnog pojasa Republike Hrvatske sa sličnim zonama susjednih država u Jadranu. S obzirom na nedavno započeta istraživanja potencijalnih nalazišta nafte i plina u južnom Jadranu, u radu se upozorava i na još neobavljen zadatak povlačenja crte lateralnog razgraničenja epikontinentskih pojaseva Hrvatske i Crne Gore.Only ten continental shelf delimitation lines have already been defined by bilateral agreements between the states with opposite or adjacent coasts in the Mediterranean Sea. This paper analyses the content of each one of these agreements, and points out toward the necessity of defining a great number of new boundaries of the Mediterranean seabed and subsoil, especially taking into account the increasing economic importance of its natural resources. This analysis is preceded by the survey of the implementation of conventional rules regarding the outer limits of the continental shelf in the national legislation of the coastal states. Italy outstands as the most active Mediterranean state in defining the seabed boundaries. Alongside adopting detailed regulations regarding the outer limits of the continental shelf, Italy has concluded five delimitation agreements with its neighbouring states - the former Yugoslavia, Tunisia, Spain, Greece and Albania. In addition to these treaties, there are also considered the important features of two treaties that implement judgements rendered by the International Court of Justice (Libya - Tunisia and Libya - Malta), as well as the delimitation criteria implemented in the single maritime boundary agreements between Bulgaria and Turkey, and France and Monaco. A further subject-matter of the analysis is the continental shelf delimitation line defined in 1978 by the agreement between Turkey and the Soviet Union, which nine years later became the boundary of their exclusive economic zones. The aim of this paper is not only to provide an overview of all the defined continental shelf boundaries in the Mediterranean, but also to attempt to answer the following question: whether the already existing continental shelf boundaries, which have been negotiated for the seabed, should also become also the boundaries of the superjacent waters. This issue is of particular importance for the future delimitation of the exclusive economic zone, that is, the ecological and fisheries protection zone of the Republic of Croatia, with similar zones established by the neighbouring states in the Adriatic. Considering the recently initiated explorations of potential oil and gas fields in the southern Adriatic, the paper draws attention to the yet uncompleted task of drawing the line of lateral boundary of the continental shelf between Croatia and Montenegro