Maritime Delimitation in the Black Sea Case (Romania v. Ukraine)

Abstract In a unanimous decision, the ICJ determined, in accordance with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the single maritime boundary between the respective EEZs and continental shelves of Romania and Ukraine. The Court clarified its methodology for delimiting the EEZ/continental shelf, following a three-stage process. First, it drew a provisional equidistance line between what it decided were the most appropriate basepoints on the two coasts; secondly, it considered whether this line required adjustment; and finally, it verified that the line did not lead to an inequitable result. The Judgment contains important interpretations of several articles in the Convention, notably Articles 74 and 83.