27 The Mediterranean Sea

Subject(s):

Law of the sea — High seas — Maritime boundaries — UNCLOS (UN Convention on the Law of the Sea)

This chapter assesses the legal regime of the Mediterranean Sea. The legal regime of any given ocean or sea is a composite product, which includes the unilateral acts of States by which they establish maritime zones and regulate the exercise of their power therein; the bilateral agreements for the delimitation of maritime boundaries; and the multilateral legal instruments, which provide uniform substantial regulation and institutionalise cooperation. The chapter examines legal regime of the Mediterranean based on this division, looking first at the jurisdictional framework, then at the delimitation of maritime boundaries, and finally at the multilateral instruments adopted by coastal States in order to regulate a number of activities.