Exclusive economic zone of Greece

Greece has claimed an Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) with a total size of 505,572 km2 (195,202 mi2), which is the 53rd largest in the world.[1]

Geography

Claimed Exclusive Economic Zone of Greece.[2][3][4][5]

Greece forms the southernmost part of the Balkan Peninsula in the Mediterranean Sea. It includes many small islands which vary between 1,200 and 6,000 in the Aegean Sea and the Ionian Sea.[6] The largest islands are Crete, Euboea, Lesbos, Rhodes and Chios. The term archipelago originates from the Aegean Islands. Crete is the fifth largest island in the Mediterranean Sea. Greece's EEZ is bordered to the west by Albania and Italy, to the south by Libya and Egypt, and to the east by Turkey and Cyprus.[7][8]

EEZ Area of Greece[1]
Territory km2 sq mi Notes
Total 505,572 195,202

Agreements

On 8 June 2020, Greece signed an agreement with Italy, establishing an EEZ between the two countries and resolving longstanding issues over fishing rights in the Ionian Sea.[9][10][5]

On 6 August 2020, Greece signed an agreement with Egypt designating an EEZ in the Eastern Mediterranean between the two countries.[11] Both agreements are in line with Greece's claimed EEZ as per UNCLOS 1982 as well as customary international law.

In October 2020, Greece and Albania agreed to refer their EEZ boundary delimitation to the International Court.[12]

Of the remaining neighbouring countries, Greece is yet to sign EEZ boundary agreements with Libya, Turkey and Cyprus.

Disputes

Turkey does not recognize that islands possess a legal continental shelf or EEZ beyond their territorial waters, arguing that such zones should be measured from the continental mainland and that islands on the "wrong side" of a median line should be ignored.[13][14]

Gas pipeline projects

There are published maps[15] that describe the course of the gas pipeline which will transfer gas produced by American Νoble Εnergy Ltd. from the Leviathan reservoir to Europe, through an undersea pipeline (EastMed pipeline) crossing Greece.[16] The mining and operating part will be undertaken by an American company.[17] By this proposal, Israel offers an advantage that Greece can use during negotiation procedures to support its claims on the area.[18] In practice, this cooperation will set up an energy coalition between Greece, Cyprus, and Israel.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Sea Around Us – Fisheries, Ecosystems and Biodiversity". Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  2. ↑ Mancini, Marina (2020). "The Agreement between Greece and Italy on the Delimitation of Their Respective Maritime Zones: An Italian Perspective". Italian Yearbook of International Law. 30: 283–294. doi:10.1163/22116133-03001015.
  3. ↑ Agreement between the Government of the Hellenic Republic and the Government of the Arab Republic of Egypt on the delimitation of the exclusive economic zone between the two countries (Report). United Nations Treaty Series. August 2020.
  4. ↑ "Law 4001/2011, Government Gazette A 179/2011 (Article 156)". Hellenic Government Gazette. In the absence of a delimitation agreement with neighboring States... the outer limit of the continental shelf and the exclusive economic zone is the median line.
  5. 1 2 Marghelis, Anselme (2021). "The maritime delimitation agreement between Greece and Italy of 9 June 2020: An analysis in the light of International Law, national interest and regional politics". Marine Policy. 126 104403. Bibcode:2021MarPo.12604403M. doi:10.1016/j.marpol.2021.104403.
  6. ↑ Marker, Sherry; Kerasiotis, Peter (2010). "Greece in depth". In Nadeau, Mark (ed.). Frommer's Greece. Hoboken: Wiley. p. 12.
  7. ↑ Tsakonas, Panagiotis; Tournikiotis, Antonis (2020). "Greece's EEZ Strategy in the Eastern Mediterranean". Hellenic Foundation for European and Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP).
  8. ↑ "Maritime Delimitation and the Exclusive Economic Zone of Greece". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic.
  9. ↑ Greece, Italy sign accord on maritime zones in Ionian Sea | Reuters. www.reuters.com. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  10. ↑ "Maritime Delimitation and the Exclusive Economic Zone". Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Hellenic Republic.
  11. ↑ Egypt and Greece sign agreement on exclusive economic zone | Reuters. www.reuters.com. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  12. ↑ Team, ΤοΒΗΜΑ (2020-10-20). "Greece, Abania to refer EEZ delimitation to the Internationaol Court of Justice". Ειδήσεις - νέα - Το Βήμα Online (in Greek). Retrieved 2021-10-10.
  13. ↑ Sümer, Murat (2023). "Joint Development of the Aegean Sea by Greece and Türkiye" (PDF). Dialnet. None of the neighbouring coastal states can be entitled to full maritime zones such as the continental shelf and exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in this narrow sea area... especially regarding islands on the wrong side of the median line.
  14. ↑ Yolcu, T. (2014). "The Aegean Dispute in the Context of Contemporary Judicial Decisions". Laws. 3 (1): 12. doi:10.3390/laws3010012. According to Turkey, Greek islands do not have rights to exert jurisdiction on the continental shelf, because they are located on the Turkish continental shelf.
  15. ↑ "Israeli cabinet ratifies trilateral agreement on EastMed Gas Pipeline". NS Energy. 20 July 2020.
  16. ↑ "Signing Ceremony of the Interstate Agreement for the construction of the EastMed gas pipeline". Prime Minister of the Hellenic Republic. 2 January 2020.
  17. ↑ Israel Recognizes Greek Exclusive Economic Zone | News from Greeks in Africa, Asia, and South America Archived 19 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine. World.greekreporter.com (23 February 2011). Retrieved 23 July 2013.
  18. ↑ "Israel inks mega gas pipeline deal with Greece, Cyprus". The Times of Israel. 2 January 2020.
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