EC fisheries and an EZ—easy!

Abstract

Since 1977 all European Community (EC) member states outside the Mediterranean have had a 200‐mile zone of fisheries jurisdiction (which in the case of three member states is in the form of an EEZ). Although the competence to claim an EEZ and other maritime zones rests with the member states, the competence to regulate fisheries within such zones (including relations with third states) belongs primarily to the EC. Since 1983 the EC has adopted a considerable number of measures to regulate and manage fisheries in the waters of its member states. This practice is in accordance with the provisions of the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea concerning the rights and duties of a coastal state in respect of fisheries in its EEZ. It therefore follows that if all EC member states were to claim an EEZ, this would make little difference and raise no real problems as far as fisheries are concerned.