#2016-1687Ordinance No. 2016-1687 on Maritime Areas under French Jurisdiction
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This law defines the maritime areas under France's control, including territorial waters and exclusive economic zones. It affects shipping, resource extraction, and environmental protection through detailed boundary regulations and sovereign rights. The ordinance lays out how maritime boundaries are established and managed, providing clarity on legal rights and responsibilities for both national and foreign entities.
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Key Changes
- Defines maritime zones under French control
- Establishes legal framework for maritime boundaries
- Grants sovereign rights in specified areas
Obligations
What this law requires
Determine and apply baseline measurements for maritime spaces using low water line along the coast, straight baseline systems, or historic/non-historic bay closing lines as defined in Article 2
Negotiate and establish delimitation agreements with neighboring States when the distance between French baseline and another State's baseline is less than 24 nautical miles, or when applying equitable solutions for EEZ and continental shelf boundaries
Exercise control measures in the contiguous zone (up to 24 nautical miles from baseline) to prevent and enforce infractions of French customs, fiscal, sanitary, and immigration laws
Exercise sovereign rights over exploration, exploitation, conservation, and management of natural resources (biological and non-biological) in the Exclusive Economic Zone extending to 200 nautical miles from baseline
Approve pipeline routes and submarine cable installations on the continental shelf through explicit authorization procedures as required by Article 15