Black Sea Romania-Ukraine Maritime Border

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague published a ruling on the maritime border between Ukraine and Romania on February 3, bringing an end to a 40-year old dispute between the countries over their respective rights of access to the potentially hydrocarbon-rich western Black Sea. The ruling establishes a single boundary halfway between the territorial waters of each country that delimits their continental shelves and exclusive economic zones (EEZs). Importantly, it recognises the rights of Romania over a continental shelf and EEZ of 9,700sq km, nearly 80% of the 12,000sq km it was disputing with Ukraine.

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