Chapter 5. The Accession and Participation of the EC, Next to Its Member States, in the UN Law of the Sea Convention (LOSC) and Regional Seas Agreements

Abstract

This chapter begins with the European Community’s (EC's) participation alongside its member states in the UNCLOS III and their joint accession to the UN Law of the Sea Convention (LOSC). It examines European Economic Community (EEC) clauses and their main limits. The chapter focuses on the participation and the role played by the Community in the bodies established by the LOSC, in the UN discussions under the agenda item “oceans and the law of the sea” and Community coordination in these fora. It discussesthe Community’s accession to and participation in the OSPAR Convention, the 1992 Helsinki Convention and the 1976 Barcelona Convention (BARCON) and its Protocols, as amended. The Chapter concludes with some observations on the legal, political and practical factors that currently limit the role of the Community in the LOSC and Regional Seas Conventions and the pragmatic approach taken by the Commission in these frameworks.Keywords: Barcelona Convention (BARCON); European Community (EC); European Economic Community (EEC); Helsinki Convention; LOSC; OSPAR Convention; Regional Seas Conventions; UNCLOS III