Legal Aspects of Inter-State Maritime Delimitation in the Eastern Mediterranean Basin

Oil, Gas & Energy Law Intelligence, Vol. 11 - issue 3, April 2013

Queen Mary School of Law Legal Studies Research Paper No. 142/2013

26 Pages Posted: 30 Apr 2013

See all articles by Andrew Filis

Andrew Filis

Queen Mary, University of London

Rafael Leal-Arcas

Alfaisal University

Multiple version iconThere are 2 versions of this paper

Date Written: April 29, 2013

Abstract

The discovery of gas and oil reserves in the East Mediterranean Basin (EMB) has put the spotlight on regional tensions between certain coastal States and on their unresolved disputes in relation to the delimitation of their respective maritime areas. The advent of the United Nations’ Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) has sought to discipline such disputes along the lines of clear legal rules. That said, not all coastal States are parties to it. In the EMB region, three coastal States – namely Israel, Syria, and Turkey – are such parties. Whilst certain customary law provisions may be held to be reflected by UNCLOS provisions, this is not without controversy. Therefore, identifying the applicable customary norms to disputes involving any of these three States becomes a more complex matter further compounded by the fact that, prior to the advent of UNCLOS, State practice had been inconsistent across coastal States. This paper outlines the principal inter-State legal aspects of the delimitation of disputes in the region in relation to the maritime areas that these engage – namely the territorial sea, the continental shelf, and the exclusive economic zone.

Keywords: East Mediterranean Basin, maritime delimitation, continental shelf, territorial sea, exclusive economic zone, UNCLOSl, international maritime law, customary law

Suggested Citation

Filis, Andrew and Leal-Arcas, Rafael, Legal Aspects of Inter-State Maritime Delimitation in the Eastern Mediterranean Basin (April 29, 2013). Oil, Gas & Energy Law Intelligence, Vol. 11 - issue 3, April 2013, Queen Mary School of Law Legal Studies Research Paper No. 142/2013, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2257731

Andrew Filis

Queen Mary, University of London ( email )

London, London
United Kingdom

Rafael Leal-Arcas (Contact Author)

Alfaisal University ( email )

P.O. Box 50927
Riyadh, 11533
Saudi Arabia

Do you have negative results from your research you’d like to share?

Paper statistics

Downloads
472
Abstract Views
2,201
Rank
68,017
PlumX Metrics