ICJ: Maritime Delimitation in the Black Sea (Romania v. Ukraine) (Conclusion of Public Hearings)

Today, the International Court of Justice concluded its public hearings in the case concerning Maritime Delimitation in the Black Sea (Romania v. Ukraine). The case concerns the delimitation of the exclusive economic zones and continental shelf appertaining to Romania and Ukraine in the Black Sea. Case documents, including the application, written proceedings, and the verbatim record of the current hearings, are available here.

At the conclusion of the proceedings, the Agents of the Parties presented their final submissions to the Court, as follows.

For Romania:

Romania respectfully requests the Court to draw a single maritime boundary dividing the maritime areas of Romania and Ukraine in the Black Sea, having the following description:

(a) from point F, at 45° 05' 21" N, 30° 02' 27" E, on the 12-nautical-mile arc surrounding Serpents’ Island, to point X, at 45° 14' 20" N, 30° 29' 12" E;

(b) from point X in a straight segment to point Y, at 45° 11' 59" N, 30° 49' 16" E;

(c) then on the line equidistant between the relevant Romanian and Ukrainian adjacent coasts, from point Y, passing through point D, at 45° 12' 10" N, 30° 59' 46" E, to point T, at 45° 09' 45" N, 31° 08' 40" E;

(d) and then on the line median between the relevant Romanian and Ukrainian opposite coasts, from point T - passing through the points of 44° 35' 00" N, 31° 13' 43" E and of 44° 04' 05" N, 31° 24' 40" E, to point Z, at 43° 26' 50" N, 31° 20' 10" E.

For Ukraine:

For the reasons given in Ukraine’s written and oral pleadings, Ukraine requests the Court to adjudge and declare that the line delimiting the continental shelf and exclusive economic zones between Ukraine and Romania is as follows:

(a) from the point (point 1) identified in Article 1 of the 2003 Treaty between Ukraine and Romania on the Régime of the Ukrainian-Romanian State Border, having the co-ordinates of 45° 05' 21" N; 30° 02' 27" E, the line runs along a straight line to point 2, having the co-ordinates of 44° 54' 00" N; 30° 06' 00" E; then

(b) from point 2, the line runs along an azimuth of 156° to point 3, having the co-ordinates of 43° 20' 37" N; 31° 05' 39" E; and then continues along the same azimuth until it reaches a point where the interests of third States potentially come into play.

The co-ordinates are referenced to the Pulkovo datum (i.e., using the Krasovsky ellipsoid), and all lines are loxodromes.