THE PROTECTION AND CONSERVATION OF THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA WITH A SPECIAL REFERENCE TO COASTAL STATES WHICH ARE MEMBERS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION

Abstract

Mediterranean states have invested and are investing considerable efforts to protect and conserve the Mediterranean Sea, mainly by accepting obligations from numerous regional and national international contracts (over 100 in number). Due to the fact that the efficacity of the system of protection can be achieved only with the efficient balance of international and national concerns, the authors in this paper have researched the protection and conservation of the Mediterranean Sea in contemporary international contracts, especially in the national regulations of those coastal states in the Mediterranean Sea which are members of the European Union; France, Spain, Italy, Cyprus, Malta and Slovenia. The analysis of the national regulations of these states (the adopted international obligations of which are being developed and improved) is particularly important for these two reasons: firstly, one of the fundamental aims of European politics is the protection and improvement of the quality of the environment, and secondly, the problem in this area is also in the implementation of the international rules.

Keywords

• protection of the Mediterranean sea
• EU coastal states
• Republic of Croatia