The European Commission said on Thursday that the establishment of exclusive economic zones in the Mediterranean Sea was a good way of managing resources which could contribute to sustainable growth, and by establishing such a zone Croatia could receive 133 million euros annually.
A new study presented by the Commission analysed the costs and benefits of establishing maritime zones in the Mediterranean, including the impact of establishing exclusive economic zones on different sea-based activities.
"There are huge untapped opportunities in the Mediterranean Sea, which could come to fruition by establishing Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs). The proclamation and establishment of maritime zones remains the sovereign right of each coastal State. It is our joint EU responsibility to ensure that the right conditions are in place for the blue economy to flourish. Mediterranean coastal states could agree on their maritime zones on the basis of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS)," said Maria Damanaki, European Commissioner for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.
Croatia had declared an Ecological and Fisheries Protection Zone (ZERP), which is much narrower in substance than an exclusive economic zone, but because of pressure from Slovenia and Italy during accession negotiations in March 2008 it had to agree not to apply it to the EU member states.
The Commission noted that a large part of the Mediterranean Sea was outside the jurisdiction of coastal states and therefore unprotected as far as living aquatic resources and the marine environment were concerned.
"The coverage of a greater portion of the Mediterranean Sea under the jurisdiction of the EU Member States would ensure that in such areas, EU regulations concerning fisheries, environment and transport would apply and a higher level of protection would follow," the Commission said.
The study shows that Croatia, if it used its protected zone, would increase its benefits from the zone from the present 103.15 million euros to 134.9 million euros. Additional costs due to control of a larger area under Croatian jurisdiction would increase by 2.5 million euros, so that the total projected benefit would amount to 29.3 million euros.
On the other hand, Italy would lose 57.2 million euros and its costs would rise by 47.9 million euros, bringing the total loss to 105.1 million euros.
The overall benefit of Croatia from the proclamation of an exclusive economic zone was estimated at 133 million euros, while the total benefit from the proclamation of exclusive economic zones in the entire Mediterranean would be 2.72 billion euros annually, according to the study.
