Tuesday, February 3, 2009

ICJ: Maritime Delimitation in the Black Sea (Romania v. Ukraine) (Judgment)

Today, the International Court of Justice issued its judgment in the case concerning Maritime Delimitation in the Black Sea (Romania v. Ukraine). (Judgment here; summary here; press release here.) At issue was the delimitation of the exclusive economic zones and continental shelf appertaining to Romania and Ukraine in the Black Sea. The decision was unanimous.

Here's the dispositif:

The Court,

Unanimously,

Decides that starting from Point 1, as agreed by the Parties in Article 1 of the 2003 State Border Régime Treaty, the line of the single maritime boundary delimiting the continental shelf and the exclusive economic zones of Romania and Ukraine in the Black Sea shall follow the 12-nautical-mile arc of the territorial sea of Ukraine around Serpents’ Island until Point 2 (with co-ordinates 45° 03' 18.5" N and 30° 09' 24.6" E) where the arc intersects with the line equidistant from Romania’s and Ukraine’s adjacent coasts. From Point 2 the boundary line shall follow the equidistance line through Points 3 (with co-ordinates 44° 46' 38.7" N and 30° 58' 37.3" E) and 4 (with co-ordinates 44° 44' 13.4" N and 31° 10' 27.7" E) until it reaches Point 5 (with co-ordinates 44° 02' 53.0" N and 31° 24' 35.0" E). From Point 5 the maritime boundary line shall continue along the line equidistant from the opposite coasts of Romania and Ukraine in a southerly direction starting at a geodetic azimuth of 185° 23' 54.5" until it reaches the area where the rights of third States may be affected.