Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)

What is EEZ or Exclusive Economic Zone?
Background History of Exclusive Economic Zone.
Rights, jurisdiction and duties of the coastal State in the exclusive economic zone.
Rights and duties of other States in the exclusive economic zone.
Artificial islands, installations and structures in the exclusive economic zone.




Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)


An exclusive economic zone (EEZ) is a sea zone prescribed by the United Nations Convention on the
Law of the Sea over which a state has special rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources, including energy production from water and wind. It stretches from the baseline out to 200 nautical miles (nmi) from its coast. In colloquial usage, the term may include the continental shelf. The term does not include either the territorial sea or the continental shelf beyond the 200 nmi limit. The difference between the territorial sea and the exclusive economic zone is that the first confers full sovereignty over the waters, whereas the second is merely a "sovereign right" which refers to the coastal state's rights below the surface of the sea. The surface waters, as can be seen in the map, are international waters.

According to Article 55 of United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) III

The  exclusive  economic  zone  is  an  area  beyond  and  adjacent  to  the territorial sea, subject to the specific legal regime established in this Part, under which the rights and jurisdiction of the coastal State and the rights and freedoms  of  other  States  are  governed  by  the  relevant  provisions  of  this Convention.

According to Article 57 of United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) III

The exclusive economic zone shall not extend beyond 200 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured.

Generally, a state's exclusive economic zone is an area beyond and adjacent to the territorial sea, extending seaward to a distance of no more than 200 nautical miles (370 km) out from its coastal baseline. The exception to this rule occurs when exclusive economic zones would overlap; that is, state coastal baselines are less than 400 nautical miles (740 km) apart. When an overlap occurs, it is up to the states to delineate the actual maritime boundary. Generally, any point within an overlapping area defaults to the nearest state.



Background History of Exclusive Economic Zone


The idea of allotting nations EEZs to give them more control of maritime affairs outside territorial limits gained acceptance in the late 20th century.

Initially, a country's sovereign territorial waters extended 3 nautical miles or 6 km (range of cannon shot) beyond the shore. In modern times, a country's sovereign territorial waters extend to 12 nautical miles (~22 km) beyond the shore. One of the first assertions of exclusive jurisdiction beyond the traditional territorial seas was made by the United States in the Truman Proclamation of September 28, 1945. However, it was Chile and Peru respectively that first claimed maritime zones of 200 nautical miles with the Presidential Declaration Concerning Continental Shelf of 23 June 1947 (El Mercurio, Santiago de Chile, 29 June 1947) and Presidential Decree No. 781 of 1 August 1947.

Traditionally, each coastal state claimed sovereignty over a territorial sea within a relatively short distance of its coastline. Fishing disputes in the 1970's led some states to claim a much larger marine territory. In 1982, the Third United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) set a number of territorial definitions that have been broadly adopted. Full sovereignty is extended to a territorial sea extending 12 nautical miles (about 19 kilometers) from the coast. In addition, control over marine resources is extend to an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extending 200 nautical miles (370 kilometers) beyond the territorial sea of a nation's coastline (land at lowest tide).

Not surprisingly, this has led to a proliferation of disputes since the EEZs of two or more states frequently overlap, especially where states claim sovereignty to small islands. Since many nations, particularly groups of islands, are in proximity it is common to have EEZs intersect (see above map). There are three main types of EEZ boundaries. Treaty boundaries have been formally recognized by neighboring countries and are thus not contested. Median line boundaries have mainly been established by the UNCLOS convention. While many have been recognized by the concerned countries, a few are being disputed. In some cases, disputed boundaries led to large areas of disputed EEZ, notably the Spratly Islands on the South China Sea, portions being contested by China, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines. From a transportation perspective, an important distinction is that vessels of other states have the freedom of navigation within the EEZ. While they also have the more restricted right to "innocent passage" through the territorial sea, the coastal state has much greater authority over foreign vessels in that zone. 



Rights, jurisdiction and duties of the coastal State in the exclusive economic zone


According to Article 56 of United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) III

1. In the exclusive economic zone, the coastal State has:
(a) sovereign rights for the purpose of exploring and exploiting, conserving and managing the natural resources, whether living or non-living, of the waters superjacent to the seabed and of the seabed and its subsoil, and with regard to other activities for the economic exploitation and exploration of the zone, such as the production of energy from the water, currents and winds;
(b) jurisdiction as provided for in the relevant provisions of this Convention with regard to:
(i) the establishment and use of artificial islands, installations and structures;
(ii) marine scientific research;
(iii) the    protection    and    preservation    of    the    marine environment;
(c) other rights and duties provided for in this Convention.
2. In  exercising  its  rights  and  performing  its  duties  under  this Convention in the exclusive economic zone, the coastal State shall have due regard  to  the  rights  and  duties  of  other  States  and  shall  act  in  a  manner compatible with the provisions of this Convention.
3. The  rights  set  out  in  this  article  with  respect  to  the  seabed  and subsoil shall be exercised in accordance with Part VI.


Rights and duties of other States in the exclusive economic zone


According to Article 58 of United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) III

1. In  the  exclusive  economic  zone,  all  States,  whether  coastal  or land-locked, enjoy, subject to the relevant provisions of this Convention, the freedoms  referred  to  in  article  87  of  navigation  and  overflight  and  of  the laying of submarine cables and pipelines, and other internationally lawful uses of the sea related to these freedoms, such as those associated with the operation  of  ships,  aircraft  and  submarine  cables  and  pipelines,  and compatible with the other provisions of this Convention.
2. Articles  88  to  115  and  other  pertinent  rules  of  international  law apply to the exclusive economic zone in so far as they are not incompatible with this Part.
3. In  exercising  their  rights  and  performing  their  duties  under  this Convention in the exclusive economic zone, States shall have due regard to the rights and duties of the coastal State and shall comply with the laws and regulations adopted by the coastal State in accordance with the provisions of this Convention and other rules of international law in so far as they are not incompatible with this Part.


Artificial islands, installations and structures in the exclusive economic zone


According to Article 60 of United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) III

1. In  the  exclusive  economic  zone,  the  coastal  State  shall  have  the exclusive right to construct and to authorize and regulate the construction, operation and use of:

(a)   artificial islands;
(b)  installations  and  structures  for  the  purposes  provided  for  in article 56 and other economic purposes;
(c)   installations  and  structures  which  may  interfere  with  the exercise of the rights of the coastal State in the zone.
2. The coastal State shall have exclusive jurisdiction over such artificial islands,  installations  and  structures,  including  jurisdiction  with  regard  to customs, fiscal, health, safety and immigration laws and regulations.

3. Due  notice  must  be  given  of  the  construction  of  such  artificial islands, installations or structures, and permanent means for giving warning of their presence must be maintained.  Any installations or structures which are abandoned or disused shall be removed to ensure safety of navigation, taking into account any generally accepted international standards established in this regard by the competent international organization.  Such removal shall also have due regard to fishing, the protection of the marine environment and the rights and duties of other States.  Appropriate publicity shall be given to
the  depth,  position  and  dimensions  of  any  installations  or  structures  not entirely removed.
4. The coastal State may, where necessary, establish reasonable safety zones around such artificial islands, installations and structures in which it may take appropriate measures to ensure the safety both of navigation and of the artificial islands, installations and structures.
5. The breadth of the safety zones shall be determined by the coastal State, taking into account applicable international standards.  Such zones shall be  designed  to  ensure  that  they  are  reasonably  related  to  the  nature  and function  of  the  artificial  islands,  installations  or  structures,  and  shall  not exceed a distance of 500 metres around them, measured from each point of their  outer  edge,  except  as  authorized  by  generally  accepted  international standards or as recommended by the competent international organization. Due notice shall be given of the extent of safety zones.
6.All  ships  must  respect  these  safety  zones  and  shall  comply  with generally accepted international standards regarding navigation in the vicinity of artificial islands, installations, structures and safety zones.
7. Artificial islands, installations and structures and the safety zones around them may not be established where interference may be caused to the use of recognized sea lanes essential to international navigation.
8. Artificial  islands,  installations  and  structures  do  not  possess  the status of islands.  They have no territorial sea of their own, and their presence does not affect the delimitation of the territorial sea, the exclusive economic zone or the continental shelf.

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