132-Maritime Delimitation in the Black Sea (Romania vs Ukraine)

132-Maritime Delimitation in the Black Sea (Romania vs Ukraine)

On 16 September 2004, Romania filed an Application instituting proceedings against Ukraine before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in respect of a dispute concerning “the establishment of a single maritime boundary between the two States in the Black Sea, thereby delimiting the continental shelf and the exclusive economic zones appertaining to them”. 

The Court delivered its Judgment in the case on February 3rd, 2009. Following the established practices and its own constant jurisprudence, the ICJ used the 3-step method:

1. The Court first established a provisional equidistant line. To do so, it firstly had to determine appropriate base points;
2. It then investigated whether there were any factors that could require an adjustment of the provisional line. In this instance, 6 factors were considered but none of them were of nature to modify the line initially drawn;
3. Finally, the Court confirmed that the line would not lead to an inequitable result.

Satisfied, the ICJ therefore unanimously traced the maritime border of the two States by following 5 points previously retained.

This summary of the facts of this case and the proceedings is only proposed for informational purposes, does not engage Dome in any way and cannot replace the careful reading of the judgments and orders of the case.