П'ятниця, 29 березня 2024

Borys Babin*

Andrii Chvaliuk**

Olexiy Plotnikov***

Attempted Annexation of Crimea and Maritime Environment Legal Protection

Full text PDF [EN]

Suggested citation:

Babin, B., Chvaliuk, A., Plotnikov, O. (2021). Attempted Annexation of Crimea and Maritime Environment Legal Protection. Lex Portus, 7(1), 31-52. https://doi.org/10.26886/2524-101X.7.1.2021.2

**DrHab in Law, Professor, Chief Scientific Advisor, Legislation Institute of Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine (4, Nestorivsky Lane, Kyiv, Ukraine).

**PhD in Law, Associate Professor, Special Legal Disciplines Department, Donetsk State University of Management (58, Karpinskogo St., Mariupol, Ukraine).

***PhD in Law, Associate Professor, NGO “Desyate Kvitnya” (15, Heroiv Krut St., Odesa, Ukraine).

 

ABSTRACT

This article is devoted to establishing the real situation with the legal protection mechanisms for maritime ecosystems adjacent to the Crimean Peninsula and to elaborate the relevant proposals. Its authors reflected and analyzed the framework on the current interstate conflict-related challenges to the ecology of the Black Sea and Sea of Azov. Researchers watched the current proceedings that Ukraine initiated in this area and proposed additional legal and organizational steps for Ukraine and other civilized nations to improve the ongoing situation. Article proves that the current mechanisms of the international human rights and ecologic law are not well applicable to those issues as they do not include the preliminary consent of other conflict’s State party. Article reflects the key challenges for maritime environment, including uncontrolled fishing, discharge of sewage from coastal cities, significant pollution due to the Black Sea Fleet activities, pollution due to the uncontrolled operation of drilling facilities, destruction of unique Karkinitsky and Kalamitsky bays’s seabed, pollution of those bays by Northern Crimea’s chemical industry, desalination plants’ construction in the peninsula, artificial usage the external borders of the Crimea-adjacent marine protected areas for Russia’s territorial claims spreading. The mechanisms, established by the international maritime law, used by Ukraine since 2015, like Case No. 2017-06 “Dispute Concerning Coastal State Rights in the Black Sea, Sea of Azov, and Kerch Strait” in the ad hoc Arbitrary Tribunal regarding the United Nations’ Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982 are not too effective in the environmental issues. Article pointed that in this Case No. 2017-06 Tribunal rejected own jurisdiction to the Ukraine’s conventional demands as coastal State for the Crimean Peninsula, including the relevant issues of the maritime ecology. Authors propose to start preparations on Ukraine’s next usage the mechanisms, established by the UN Convention on the prohibition of military or any other hostile use of environmental modification technique, 1976. Relevant risks and possible results of such eventual usage were evaluated in the article.

The key words: arbitration tribunal, Black Sea, Crimea, environmental modification technique, international legal disputes, interstate conflict, maritime environment, Sea of Azov.

 

REFERENCES

Atland, K. (2021). Redrawing borders, reshaping orders: Russia’s quest for dominance in the Black Sea region. European Security. DOI: 10.1080/09662839.2021.1872546

Award Concerning the Preliminary Objections of the Russian Federation, 2020. Case No. 2017-06. Dispute Concerning Coastal State Rights in the Black Sea, Sea of Azov, and Kerch Strait (Ukraine v. the Russian Federation) (PCA Arbitrary Tribunal). The official website of PCA. Retrieved February 21, 2021 from: https://pcacases.com/web/sendAttach/9272

Babin, B. (2021). Universalni mizhnarodni pravovi mekhanizmy zakhystu ekolohii Krymu [Universal International Legal Mechanisms of Protection the Ecology of Crimea]. Krymskotatarskyi resursnyi tsentr. [Crimean Tatar Resource Center]. Retrieved April 4, 2021 from: https://ctrcenter.org/uk/news/6604-universalni-mizhnarodni-pravovi-mehanizmi-zahistu-ekologiyi-krimu [in Ukrainian].

Case Concerning the Detention of Three Ukrainian Naval Vessels (Ukraine v. Russian Federation), Provisional Measures. List of Cases: No. 26. Order 25.05.2019 (International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea). The official website of ITLOS. Retrieved February 21, 2021 from: https://www.itlos.org/en/main/cases/list-of-cases/case-concerning-the-detention-of-three-ukrainian-naval-vessels-ukraine-v-russian-federation-provisional-measures/

Concluding Observations on the Seventh Periodic Report of the Russian Federation. CCPR/C/RUS/CO/7. 28.04.2015 (UN Human Rights Committee). The official website of UN. Retrieved February 21, 2021 from: https://undocs.org/en/CCPR/C/RUS/CO/7

Convention on the Law of the Sea, 1982 (United Nations). The official website of UN. Retrieved February 5, 2018 from: http://www.un.org/depts/los/convention_agreements/ texts/unclos/unclos_e.pdf

Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques, 10 December 1976 (United Nations). The official website of UN. Retrieved April 1, 2021 from: https://treaties.un.org/Pages/ViewDetails.aspx?src=TREATY&mtdsg_no=XXVI-1&chapter=26&clang=_en

Convention (IV) relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, 1949 (The High Contracting Parties). The official website of UN. Retrieved February 21, 2021 from: https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/documents/atrocity-crimes/Doc.33_GC-IV-EN.pdf

Crimea and Ukrainian Maritime Environmental Strategy (Association of Reintegration of Crimea). Website of ARC. December 4, 2020. Retrieved April 4, 2021 from: https://arc.construction/6979

Criticism by Environmentalists of the Nature Conservation Draft Strategy: Forgotten Crimea (Association of Reintegration of Crimea). Website of ARC. December 28, 2020. Retrieved February 21, 2021 from: https://arc.construction/8450

Dispute Concerning the Detention of Ukrainian Naval Vessels and Servicemen (Ukraine v. the Russian Federation) Case No. 2019-28. (PCA Arbitrary Tribunal). The official website of PCA. Retrieved February 21, 2021, from: https://pca-cpa.org/en/cases/229/

Humanitarian Consequences of the War in Ukraine. Resolution 2198 (2018), 23.01.2018. (Parliamentary Assembly of CoE) The official website of CoE. Retrieved February 21, 2021 from: https://assembly.coe.int/nw/xml/XRef/Xref-XML2HTML-en.asp?fileid=24432&lang=en

Judgment on Preliminary Objections. 8.11.2019. General List No. 166. Application of the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Ukraine v. Russian Federation). (International Court of Justice) The official website of ICC. Retrieved February 21, 2021 from: https://www.icj-cij.org/public/files/case-related/166/166-20191108-JUD-01-00-EN.pdf

Kormych, B., Averochkina, T., Gaverskyi, V. (2020). The Ukrainian Public Administration of Territorial Seas: A European Example. European Energy and Environmental Law Review, 29, 2, 26-38. Retrieved March 1, 2021 from: https://kluwerlawonline.com/journalarticle/European+Energy+and+Environmental+Law+Review/29.2/EELR2020004

List of Issues in Relation to the Eighth Periodic Report of the Russian Federation. CCPR/C/RUS/Q/8. 14.08.2020. (UN Human Rights Committee). The official website of UN. Retrieved February 21, 2021 from: https://tbinternet.ohchr.org/_layouts/15/treatybodyexternal/Download.aspx?symbolno=CCPR%2FC%2FRUS%2FQ%2F8&Lang=en

NJSC Naftogaz of Ukraine (Ukraine et al. v. the Russian Federation). No. 2017-16 (PCA Arbitrary Tribunal). The official website of PCA. Retrieved February 21, 2021, from: https://pca-cpa.org/en/cases/151/

Resolution 75/29. Problem of the Militarization of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol, Ukraine, as Well as Parts of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov. 7.12.2020. (UN General Assembly). The official website of UN. Retrieved February, 21 2021 from: https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/75/29

Resolution 75/192. Situation of Human Rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol (Ukraine). 16.12.2020. (UN General Assembly). The official website of UN. Retrieved February 21, 2021 from: https://undocs.org/en/A/RES/75/192

Resolution 68/262. Territorial Integrity of Ukraine. 27.03.2014 (UN General Assembly). The official website of UN. Retrieved February 21, 2021 from: https://undocs.org/A/RES/68/262

Resolution on militarization by the Russian Federation of the Temporarily Occupied Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the City of Sevastopol, Ukraine, the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov, 2019 (Parliamentary Assembly of OSCE). The official website of CoE. Retrieved February 21, 2021 from: https://www.oscepa.org/documents/annual-sessions/2019-luxembourg/3882-luxembourg-declaration-eng/file

Resolution (2018/2870(RSP)). On the Situation in the Sea of Azov. 24.10.2018 (European Parliament). The official website of EU. Retrieved February 21, 2021, from: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/RC-8-2018-0493_EN.html?redirect

Report on Preliminary Examination Activities, 2020 (Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court). The official website of ICC. Retrieved February 21, 2021 from: https://www.icc-cpi.int/itemsDocuments/2020-PE/2020-pe-report-eng.pdf

Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court A/CONF.183/9 of 17 July 1998 (International Criminal Court). The official website of ICC. Retrieved February 21, 2021 from: https://www.icc-cpi.int/resource-library/documents/rs-eng.pdf

Schatz, V., Koval, D. (2019). Russia’s Annexation of Crimea and the Passage of Ships Through Kerch Strait: A Law of the Sea Perspective. Ocean Development & International Law, 50, 2-3, 275-297. DOI: 10.1080/00908320.2019.1605677

Shevchenko, H., Petrushenko, P., Burkynskyi, B., Khumarova, N. (2021). SDGs and the ability to manage change within the European green deal: The case of Ukraine. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 19(1), 53-67. DOI: 10.21511/ppm.19(1).2021.05

Ukaz o ratifikatsii Konventsii o zapreshchenii voiennogo ili lubogo inigo vrazhdebnogo ispolzovaniia sredstv vozdeistviia na prirodnuiu sredu, 1978 (Prezidium Verkhovnogo Soveta SSSR) [Decree on Ratification the Convention on the Prohibition of Military or Any Other Hostile Use of Environmental Modification Techniques, 1978 [the Presidia of Supreme Council of USSR https://docs.cntd.ru/document/901852469 [in Russian http://hudoc.echr.coe.int/eng?i=001-207622

UN Will Research the Maritime Ecology Challenges, Connected with Crimea. March 31, 2021 (Association of Reintegration of Crimea). Website of ARC. Retrieved April 4, 2021 from: https://arc.construction/12976

United Nations Charter, 1945 (the United Nations Conference on International Organization). The official website of UN. Retrieved February 21, 2021 from: https://www.un.org/en/about-us/un-charter

Zakon pro pravonastupnytstvo Ukrainy, 1991 (Verkhovna Rada Ukrainy) [Law on Succession of Ukraine, 1991 (Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine)https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/1543-12 [in Ukrainian].

 

.

Адреса редакції

м. Одеса, Україна
Фонтанська дорога, 23
Редакція журналу "Lex Portus"

fb

info@lexportus.net.ua