The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has to explain the delimitation of its Exclusive Economic Zone in the Atlantic Ocean (EEZ), according to a resolution of the Council of Transparency and Good Government (CTBG) to which LA RAZÓN has had access. In a previous communication, Foreign Affairs acknowledged that “negotiation of any EEZ delimitation with neighbouring countries has not been completed” and specifically stated that “There is no record of any negotiations with France since 2012”when, as José Manuel Albares’ portfolio pointed out, the neighboring country “had unilaterally decreed its EEZ in the Mediterranean.”
This information was revealed following a request for information dating back to December 29, 2023, when a citizen raised various questions to Foreign Affairs, since, as the interested party stated, “France has unilaterally delimited its Exclusive Economic Maritime Zone (EEZ) against Spain both in the Atlantic and the Mediterraneanharming Spanish maritime interests” and consequently putting at risk, “fishery or energy resources”.
It should be remembered that this perimeter grants “sovereign rights to the effects of exploration and exploitation of natural resources of the seabed, the subsoil and the waters thereunder”, according to the regulations established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The doubts raised by the lawyer Guillermo Rocafort reached the “negotiations” with our northern neighbor “to properly delimit our EEZs”; if “Spain has raised any protest and measures against France for a correct delimitation”; if this matter “It is controversial in international courts” and if “Spain accepts the delimitation”, but also requested a “copy of the communications sent by Spain to France in this regard.”
After the ministry responded, a response collected by this newspaper, the petitioner stated to the CTBG his disagreement with what was indicated about issues such as “the controversy with France in relation to the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the Atlantic Ocean”, since “the answer does not clarify it.” What is more, he now reports to Transparency that “it refers to agreements with France adopted during the Franco regime”, with a “secrecy” that “is unacceptable” when “We are talking about a vast expanse of ocean.”
The government’s response emphasizes that Spain “has unilaterally declared its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of 200 nautical miles through two regulations: Law 15/78, of February 20, on EEZs, and Royal Decree 236/2013, of April 5, which establishes Spain’s EEZ in the northwestern Mediterranean.”
The response continues within the scope of the law: “Except as provided in international treaties with States whose coasts are opposite or adjacent to the Spanish coasts, The outer limit of the economic zone will be the median line or equidistant». In this sense, the application (…) will be limited to the Spanish coasts of the Atlantic Ocean, including the Cantabrian Sea, peninsular and island coasts, and the Government is empowered to agree to its extension to other Spanish coasts.
The Ministry recalls that “Royal Decree 236/2013 established our exclusive EEZ in the northwestern Mediterranean according to the coordinates included in its article 1. Previously, in 2012, France had unilaterally decreed its EEZ in the Mediterranean.”
He also points out that “negotiations on any EEZ delimitation with neighbouring countries have not been completed” and that “There is no record of any negotiations with France since 2012.”
After receiving these notifications, on March 5, 2024, the Transparency Council granted the complainant a hearing to present the allegations he deemed relevant. On the same day, the complainant stated that “the ministry has still not responded to this question: Has Spain turned to international bodies to resolve this issue? in the controversies with France in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean?
In its latest resolution, “in view of the actions reflected in the background”, for the CTBG “it is evident that, although formally the ministry resolved within the deadline, The truth is that he did not provide all the requested informationforcing the interested party to file the claim provided for in the law.
The agency points out that “as regards the question of whether the matter is disputed in international courts, there is no record of any pronouncement by the ministry.”
Consequently, “given the nature of the information requested in accordance with Article 13 LTAIBG and the fact that no limit or reason for inadmissibility has been alleged, the claim must be upheld so that the Ministry can resolve the request that has remained unanswered and provide the information” pending. This is a crucial issue, because what is at stake is “determining the space that grants countries economic exploitation rights over the waters adjacent to their coasts, as France and Morocco have already done,” concludes Rocafort.