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Workshop 16. Maritime Geography of the Mediterranean Sea. Elements of Analysis for an Integrated Maritime Policy. Juan Luis Suárez de Vivero Department of Human Geography University of Seville. [email protected] 1. INTRODUCTION Geographical representations of marine jurisdictions allow not only the image and iconography of a new territorial reality to be perceived, but also the formal –geographicalelements of which it is made up and some of the reasons for disputes and territorial tension. This paper, in the format of an atlas (maps and graphics), is divided into three blocks: 1) Geographical and political framework: 2) Jurisdictions and borders; 3) Coastal-marine governance. This structured whole of maps allows strictly jurisdictional elements to be put into context with the spatial information provided. It also provides elements for analysis that help to lay the foundations for initiatives for the governance of the Mediterranean basin. The political make-up of the Mediterranean region is characterised by a clear division between the northern and southern shores; to a great extent, the former is part of the European Union, implying greater cohesion and common policies, in contrast with a southern shore (northern Africa) which is weakly structured from the political point-of-view. In spite of this, the maritime map shows that national interests dominate on both sides and this results in a jurisdictional patchwork which does not make for easy agreements, be they bilateral or multilateral. The region’s geographical make-up (coastal countries plus the maritime area) and the fact that it is a semi-enclosed basin similarly reveal certain peculiarities on the maritime map: a large share (45%) of waters still comes under the legal regime of the high seas, and with the remaining waters (these under national jurisdiction) produces a total of seven different maritime jurisdictions. Broadly-speaking, about a quarter is made up of coastal-maritime territory, and half of this corresponds to the coastal zone. These parameters are sufficient indication of the importance that the sea has in the region, and this should be reflected, in one way or another, in the governance of a territory whose legal nature makes international cooperation an absolute requirement. The geography of the region is likewise an inherent factor in the aspect of maritime strategy. There is a large presence of some globally relevant clash points in the Mediterranean, such as international straits, including Gibraltar and the Turkish straits, and not forgetting the Suez Canal. Through them passes an artery of vital importance for the world economy, affecting the interests of other transcontinental regions. The morphology of the basin is also one of the causes of the territorial conflict that is linked with the process of maritime jurisdictional expansion, leading to the creation of a high number of new borders between opposing and neighbouring countries. The legal map of the Mediterranean is thus a document which is “under construction”, and for progress to be made in its drawing –and understanding- other underlying geographical realities have to be shown. The maritime atlas of the Mediterranean region has been conceived as an approach to the reading and interpretation of the geographical elements relevant to its governance and as a contribution towards defining the context in which the basin’s legal aspects have to be accommodated. 2. GEOGRAPHICAL AND POLITICAL FRAMEWORK The feature that best defines the Mediterranean region is its character as a geographical, socio-cultural and political crossroads and it is from this that its diversity and complexity stem. The aim of this section is to summarise the basic components of the basin’s geopolitical structure with the introduction of the maritime aspect and the geographical and jurisdictional ratification of this through national and international actions and legislation. The region’s territorial morphology means that around its marine basin a thick carpet of political organisations lays, covering the whole gamut from local to international, each of which bears its share of the responsibility for governance of its maritime space. On a global scale, the Mediterranean basin is an area where the continents of Europe, Africa and Asia converge. On its western flank it connects with the Atlantic Ocean through the Straits of Gibraltar (1,092 m (597 fathoms) deep) and on its eastern flank with the Marmara Sea through the Dardanelles Strait (91 m (50 fathoms) deep), and thereafter, through the Bosphorus Strait (72.8 m (40 fathoms) deep) with the Black Sea. The Mediterranean also connects with the Red Sea through the Suez Canal. The Mediterranean has a surface area of 2.5m sq.km. (730,000 snm.), is 3,860 km (2,084 n.m.) long from east to west and is 1,600 km (864 n.m.) wide at its widest point, although the distance that separates opposing States (including islands) does not exceed 720 km (400 nautical miles) at any point (Figure 1). In general terms, it is not very deep (1,500 m (820 fathoms) on average), with a maximum depth of 5,150 m (2,816 fathoms) off the southern coast of Greece. An underground barrier stretching from Tunisia to Sicily divides the Mediterranean into the east and the west. The western Mediterranean is divided as follows: Strait of Gibraltar, Alboran Sea, Balearic Sea (Iberian Sea) and Ligurian Sea. For its part, the eastern basin is subdivided into: the Tyrrhenian Sea, Strait of Sicily, Adriatic Sea, Ionian Sea and Aegean Sea (IHO, 1953). Different levels of political organisation act upon this geographical framework which contributes to the Mediterranean being considered a multidimensional area. The political framework of the Mediterranean is the result of interaction between these various levels of political organisation: supranational, transnational, national and sub national (Table 1). This structure is relevant insofar as each of these different levels has its duties and responsibilities for the management and governance of the coastal-marine area. Of the twenty-one coastal States that give onto the basin (Figure 2), eleven are in Europe, five in Africa and five in Asia. These twenty-one States, with a combined surface area of 8,430,658 sq.km. (3,255,000 sq.m.), currently extend their jurisdiction over 52 % of the waters in this sea (Table 2). The maritime map of these States shows how important this area is for the national interests that predominate both on the northern shore of the Mediterranean, which is more united, politically, and the southern and eastern shores, which both have frail political structures. About twenty-three percent of Mediterranean waters therefore come under the jurisdiction of European States, about 24% African States, and 5% Asian States (Table 2). Although States play a core role in shaping the politics of the Mediterranean, a range of supranational organisations have taken on growing importance as actors with governance functions and duties for marine space. There is, however, a clear division between north and south (Figure 3); in the main the former is made up of European Union member-States, whereas political links in the latter are only weak despite the existence of organisations such as the Arab League and the Arab Maghreb Union (Table 3). The expansion and consolidation of the European Union has led to the creation of a fabric of intermediate-level political structures in the north Mediterranean arc whose interaction and dialogue with other levels of government shape a governance system that is better coordinated than that of the southern bank (northern Africa), which is less structured on this intermediate political level (Table 4). This distances both banks further as far as their ability to govern the Mediterranean is concerned (Figure 4). The sub national and local political levels are represented in the Mediterranean by coastal regions, provinces and municipal districts (Figure 5). Both the number of these organisations (in Europe alone there are forty-five coastal regions) and their duties regarding the management and governance of the coastal-marine area (Figure 6) are ensuring a growing role for sub-State levels in the basin’s political structure (Table 5) and reinforce the idea of multilevel governance in the region. This lack of symmetry between the northern and southern parts of the Mediterranean’s political framework is also evident in the fact that two different and distant socio-economic and cultural models exist. The northern arc is predominantly Christian, whereas the southern arc is almost exclusively Moslem. The north is made up of industrialised societies with democratic systems of government, whereas in the south they are developing countries, except for Israel. In the north, the demographic structure is marked by the problem of ageing, whereas in the south there is a demographic boom that leads to emigration (Figure 7). The north has very high or high human development indexes, with a per capita GNI that exceeds $42,000 in France (Table 6); the south has only medium Human Development Indexes and the lowest GNI in the basin (Egypt) of around $1,800 (UNEP/MAP, 2009 and World Bank, 2009). These factors are a source of instability and have important repercussions on political relations in the Mediterranean. 3. JURISDICTIONS AND BORDERS The geographical, cultural, social and political complexity of the Mediterranean Sea is also reflected in the jurisdictional structure of its maritime space. The marine basin’s morphology, with only one natural connection with the great ocean masses, is also its primary jurisdictional feature. Art. 123 of UNCLOS provides for the peculiarity of enclosed and semi-enclosed seas by prescribing for cooperation between coastal States. The fact that the Mediterranean is a semi-enclosed sea and that its maximum width does not exceed 400 nautical miles at any point, together with its relatively low levels of biological production are reasons that explain to a great extent what could be termed the Mediterranean anomaly: the fact that a large percentage of the basin (approximately 45%) continues to come under the legal status of the high seas (Figure 8). However, the same is not true of the seabed and the subsoil, the jurisdictional allotting of which among the States is the subject of most of the delimitation agreements signed thus far. A number of jurisdictional definitions concur in the Mediterranean basin (Table 7). Apart from those specified in UNCLOS, States have adopted other definitions that this does not provide for. As a result, fisheries protection zones, an ecological protection zone and a combination of the two have all been declared alongside the basic concepts of inland waters, territorial sea and contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone, continental shelf and high seas. Two historical bays have also been declared (the Gulf of Taranto and the Gulf of Sidra: these are also inland waters) and archaeological contiguous zones. A majority of States (twelve) have established straight base lines while nine others have not. Although a considerable part of the Mediterranean is, as has been indicated, high seas, the seabed and the subsoil come totally under the national jurisdiction of the various coastal States; i.e.: there is no ‘zone’ (common heritage of mankind, according to UNCLOS) as, given that there is no point wider than 400 nautical miles, the States, even though they do not expressly claim it (Art. 77.3 UNCLOS), exercise their jurisdiction over the seabed and the subsoil, at least as far as the 200 nautical mile limit or the dividing median line should there be no agreements in place. In reality, the majority of existing limits concern the continental shelf. Five States (Cyprus, Egypt, Morocco, Syria and Tunisia) have declared an EEZ to date (end 2009). Except for Cyprus (an EU member) at its far eastern end the EEZs lie along the southern banks of the basin (Figure 9). The majority of the remaining coastal States (eight) have declared some kind of jurisdiction (fisheries zone, ecological protection zone and ecological & fisheries protection zone). Nine States (Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Greece, Israel, Italy, Lebanon, Monaco, Montenegro and Turkey) have declared no jurisdictional rights outside the territorial sea. It is because of this that the high seas exist (as a jurisdiction that is defined by exclusion). The current surface area of the high seas 1,146,612 sq.km. (334,300 snm.) (Table 8) basically results from the inhibition of three States: Italy, Greece and Turkey. Italy alone would reduce the current surface area of the high seas by half, should the Law on ecological protection (Law no. 61, 2006) come into force. There are twenty-nine points of border contact between these twenty-one Mediterranean coastal States which subsequently give rise to different types of delimitation between maritime jurisdictions (basically, territorial sea and contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone and continental shelf) (Figure 10). Interaction between neighbouring and opposing States has led to thirteen delimitation agreements to date (Figure 11) (including borders that have come about as a result of the break up of the former Yugoslavia), of which nine are between opposing, and four between neighbouring States. The oldest agreement dates from 1968 (Italy-Yugoslavia) whilst the most recent was subscribed in 2003 (Cyprus-Egypt). This was also the first delimitation of the EEZ. Although forty years separate the first and the latest agreements, 60% of these were formalised during the nineteen-seventies and –eighties. Nine of the thirteen agreed limits concern the continental shelf. Seven of the agreements are situated in the western Mediterranean and the remaining six in the eastern part, and correspond to nine States on the northern shore (Europe) and four on the southern shore (Africa). Politically, seven of the agreements affect EU-member countries (a total of six: France, Italy, Spain, Greece, Malta, Slovenia and Cyprus), with Italy being the country that has subscribed the greatest number of agreements (eight). The reason for this is the country’s relative position as a peninsula in the middle of the basin and the creation of new States after the break up of the old State of Yugoslavia. As previously indicated, Italy had signed the first agreement on maritime borders with Yugoslavia. Six States (BosniaHerzegovina, Israel, Lebanon, Morocco, Syria and Turkey) have no agreements concerning their limits. Territorial conflicts are one of the causes of the lack of agreements due to the complexity of some of the disputes in the basin (Figure 12). Insularity and territories regarded as enclaves/exclaves might be considered the focus of conflicts of this type and of consequent difficulties for agreements to be reached. 4. GOVERNANCE The maps and graphics in this section relate to some aspects of governance of the Mediterranean Sea that illustrate just how complex the basin is. This is a result both of its current jurisdictional structure, with responsibilities appertaining to the coastal States and third States, and of some of the most widespread marine uses and phenomena, such as migratory flows, for which, despite their not having any maritime roots, its waters are a major scenario. Governance of the Mediterranean basin takes place on various levels depending on the jurisdictional structure of its maritime space and its multilevel politico-administrative organisation (see 2). The basin is envisaged as a unit of management in international conventions (Barcelona Convention), but it is more of a political than a physiographical domain. To all effects, the basin is usually divided into areas, sub regions or subdivisions based either on their geological, geomorphological, hydrological or biological formation, or their legal and administrative structure. The areas defined by physical (as opposed to politicoadministrative) criteria possess the rationale of natural events and allow areas for intervention and actions and management measures to be defined and delimited. Some of these areas can be found on the eco-region maps (Figure 13, Figure 14, Figure 15 and Figure 16). The scales and the average size of these areas differ widely (Table 9). In some cases, such as hydrographic basins, institutions have been created for their management and, in the case of the EU, the WFD has incorporated into these physical units the coastal waters linked to them. Being defined according to strictly functional criteria from the geographical point-of-view, these areas are generally of a supranational (straddling a number of national maritime jurisdictions) and international (including High Seas waters) nature. This makes it difficult for divisions of this type, with limits based on hydrographical, geological or biological events, to be operational, as they lack a legal-administrative framework. This is the difficulty that making proposed protected marine areas effective faces, as they extend into waters outside national jurisdiction (Figure 17). The institutions responsible for managing some marine activities (fishing has a long management tradition on the national, transnational and international scale) or formulating integrated policies (the EU’s Marine Strategy Framework Directive) have generally proceeded by establishing a geographical structure for their measures or policies to be implemented. Among the major institutions of this type are FAO, ICES (Figure 18) the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (Figure 19), the European Commission with the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (Figure 20) and the Regional Fisheries Advisory Councils, where the Mediterranean is considered as a single unit (Figure 21). Some activities in marine space, such as navigation, are regulated by international conventions but their effect on the environment and the fact that they are superimposed upon other activities or compete for the same space make them targets for consideration in marine spatial planning. Such is the case of ports and shipping lanes (Figure 22, Figure 23), and also of certain infrastructure of a strategic nature (Figure 24). Along with conventional uses, other phenomena, such as unregulated migration have led to systems being established to monitor and maintain surveillance over maritime space. This phenomenon is hugely prevalent in some areas of the Mediterranean and considerable means have been deployed for its control (Figure 25). BIBLIOGRAPHY - An integrated maritime policy for the European Union Brussels, 10.10.2007, COM (2007) 575 final. - Convention for the Protection of The Mediterranean Sea Against Pollution, 16 February 1976. - Directive 2000/60/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2000 establishing a framework for Community action in the field of water policy). - DOALOS (http://www.un.org/Depts/los/index.htm.). - IHO (1953): Limits of the Oceans and Seas, Monte Carlo. - Italy, 2006. Law No. 61 of 8 February 2006, Gazzetta Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana No. 52, 3 March 2006. - PNUD (2009): Human Development Report 2009. Overcoming barriers: Human mobility and development. - Regulation (EC) No 1059/2003 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 26th May 2003 on the establishment of a common classification of territorial units for statistics (NUTS) (Official Journal L 154, 21/06/2003). - Resilience in the European Atlantic social–ecological system (EASES), Working Paper, 2009. University College Cork. - UNEP/MAP (2009): Plan Bleu: State of the Environment and Development in the Mediterranean, Athens. - United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982. Division for Ocean Affairs and the Law of the Sea. http://www.un.org/Depts/los/convention_agreements/convention_overview_conventio n.htm - WORLD BANK (2009): World Development Indicators database. TABLES Table 1. Hierarchical structure of the Mediterranean’s political framework GEOGRAPHICAL SCOPE POLITICAL SCOPE SUB-GLOBAL Mediterranean South Europe & North Africa & Asia Minor MACROREGIONAL Mediterranean Arc SUPRANATIONAL LEVEL UE & Arab Maghreb Union & Arab League TRANSNATIONAL LEVEL Intermediterranean Commission Balkan and Black Sea Commission NATIONAL LEVEL AL, AG, BK, HR, CY, EG, FR, GR, IS, IT, LE, LY, MT, MN, MW, MO, SI, SP, SY, TS, TU. MESOREGIONAL Coastal regions LOCAL District, county. * Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics (NUTS). SUBNATIONAL LEVEL NUTS 2* LOCAL LEVEL NUTS 3, LAU 1, LAU 2** ** Local Administrative Units (LAU). EU statistical unit. Source: EASES, adapted by author. Table 2. Specifics of Mediterranean countries and territories (2006) Countries and Territories Spain Gibraltar France Italy Greece Monaco Malta Cyprus* Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus Slovenia Croatia Bosnia-Herzegovina Montenegro Albania Turkey Syria Lebanon Israel Palestinian territories Egypt Libya Tunisia Algeria Total surface area (sq.km.) Maritime surface area of jurisdictional waters (sq.km.) Population 505,370 7.84 551,500 301,340 131,960 2 320 9,250 243,959 79 87,212 120,868 92,095 285 8,231 74,530 44,121,300 29,286 61,256,600 58,842,800 11,147,100 32,600 406,000 771,200 3,186 - 235,591 20,270 56,540 51,210 14,026 28,750 783,560 185,180 10,400 22,070 6,020 1,001,450 376 54,719 4,847 39,175 10,147 3,938 3,318 371 170,923 2,006,800 4,441,300 3,926,406 601,022 3,172,155 72,975,000 19,407,558 4,055,301 7,048,600 3,774,671 74,166,496 1,759,540 235,918 6,038,643 163,610 104,182 10,128,100 2,381,740 77,245 33,351,137 Political block EU EU EU EU EU EU EU EU League of Arab States League of Arab States League of Arab States Maghreb/ League of Arab States Maghreb/ League of Arab States Maghreb/ League of Arab States Morocco 446,550 20,887 30,496,553 1,661,288 614,780 190,725,283 Maghreb/ League of Arab States SUMMARY Europe 11 countries EU/non EU Maghreb/ League of Africa 5 countries 5,752,890 609,154 261,442,059 Arab States EU/ League of Arab Asia 5 countries 1,016,480 131,782 452,167,342 States * Cyprus is included as part of Asia in keeping with the OALOS website structure. Source: UNEP/MAP, 2009, adapted by author. Table 3. Supranational political organisations in the Mediterranean Supranational organisations Purpose No. of countries Location EU Political-economic 9 Europe EEA* Economic EUROMED** Political 15 Europe/Asia Arab League Political 7 Africa/Asia Arab Maghreb Union Economic 4 Africa 9 (4 associated) Europe/Asia/Africa *EEA: European Economic Area. **EUROMED: Euro-Mediterranean Partnership, was re-launched in 2008 as the Union for the Mediterranean. Source: Author. Table 4. Other supranational political organisations in the Mediterranean Transnational organisations Purpose No. of Location countries Intermediterranean Commission (CRPM) Regional political 4 Europe Balkan and Black Sea Commission (CRPM) Regional political 11 Europe Source: Author. Table 5. Sub national level. Mediterranean coastal regions Country Spain France Greece Croatia Italy Malta Slovenia Turkey Albania Montenegro Source: Author. No. NUTS 2 6 3 12 1 15 1 1 10 1 1 Surface area sq.km. 159,574 68,227 120,551 23,764 227,243 281 8,099 229,752 28,741 14,208 Table 6. Per capita Gross National Income 2008 Countries Per capita Gross Countries Per capita Gross National National Income ($US) Income ($US) Spain 31,960 Albania 3,840 France* 42,250 Turkey 9,340 Italy 35,240 Syria 2,090 Greece 28,650 Lebanon 6,350 Malta 16,680 Israel 24,700 Cyprus ** 22,950 Egypt 1,800 Slovenia 24,010 Libya 11,590 Croatia 13,570 Tunisia 3,290 Bosnia-Herzegovina 4,510 Algeria 4,260 Montenegro 6,440 Morocco 2,580 * Data includes the French overseas departments of French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique, and Reunion. ** Excludes Turkish Cypriot side. Note: Figures in italics are for 2007 or 2006. Source: World Bank, 2009 Exclusive Economic Zone 32/52 Ecological & Fisheries Protection Zone 24 Ecological Protection Zone Fisheries Zone X Albania X 24 Algeria Bosnia-Herzegovina X Croatia X 24 Cyprus X Egypt X 24 France Greece Israel X Italy Lebanon X Libya 24 Malta Monaco Montenegro X Morocco Slovenia X X Spain X 24 Syria X Tunisia Turkey Source: European Commission, 2009. Archaeological Contiguous Zone Contiguous Zone Straight Baselines Table 7. Summary of national claims and/or delimitation agreements 2009 X 24 X X 24 X X 24 62 25 X X X 24 X X X Table 8. Surface area, Jurisdictions Jurisdictions Inland waters Historical bay Territorial sea EEZ Fisheries Protection zone Ecological Protection zone Ecological and fisheries zone High seas Total Source: Author. sq. km. 96,087 92,154 394,219 310,654 377,755 80,615 34,202 1,146,612 2,532,298 Table 9. Management Areas ECOSYSTEMS WFDE MEOW Name Western plains Dinaric western Balkan Italy and Corsica Eastern Balkan Hellenic western Balkan Average LME Name Mediterranean Sea sq. km. 582,934 191,419 718,135 177,641 432,537 420,533 sq. km. 2,530,148 Name Adriatic Sea Levantine Sea Tunisian Plateau/Gulf of Sidra Ionian Sea Aegean Sea Alboran Sea Western Mediterranean Average sq. km. 352,299 1,122,686 1,077,191 455,080 609,648 352,690 1,382,583 252,816 ADMINISTRATIVE & STATISTICAL REGIONS ICES DIVISIONS Name Balearic (Division 37.1.1) Gulf of Lions (Division 37.1.2) Sardinia (Division 37.1.3) Adriatic (Division 37.2.1) Ionian (Division 37.2.2) Aegean (Division 37.3.1) Levant (Division 37.3.2) Average CGPM sq. km. 468,333 62,758 313,855 98,975 845,887 286,510 443,941 360,036 MSFD Name Mediterranean Sea (Marine Region) Western Mediterranean (Marine Sub region Ionian Sea (Marine Sub region) Levantine Aegean Sea (Marine Sub region) Adriatic Sea (Marine Sub region) Average sq. km. 1,533,098 Name Northern Alboran Sea Alboran Island Southern Alboran Sea Algeria Balearic Islands Northern Spain Gulf of Lions Ligurian and North Tyrrhenian Sea Corsica Sardinia South and Central Tyrrhenian Sea sq. km. 33,034 2,226 22,683 129,355 113,863 111,911 34,443 54,599 47,702 121,778 134,394 693,550 359,906 Gulf of Hammamet Gulf of Gabes 38,497 52,595 418,819 Malta 26,800 60,823 383,274 Northern Tunisia South of Sicily 39,910 37,386 FAO Name Area No. 37 sq. km. 2,995,439 RACS Name Balearic (Division 37.1.1) Gulf of Lions (Division 37.1.2) Sardinia (Division 37.1.3) Adriatic (Division 37.2.1) Ionian (Division 37.2.2) Aegean (Division 37.3.1) Levant (Division 37.3.2) Average Source: Author. sq. km. 468,333 62,758 313,855 98,975 845,887 286,510 443,941 360,036 Northern Adriatic Sea Southern Adriatic Sea Western Ionian Sea 85.726 52,209 167,416 Southern Ionian Sea Eastern Ionian Sea Crete Aegean Sea South Levant Cyprus Levant North Levant Average 366.101 124,642 62,680 222,651 265,846 45,101 36,193 100,507 93,712