Slovenia is to declare a protective ecological zone and continental shelf in the Adriatic under a bill that the foreign and environment ministries have sent for government approval, the Environment Ministry said in Thursday's press release.
The move comes after the governments of Italy and Croatia last week reached an agreement on the demarcation of the continental shelf in the Adriatic in talks that Slovenia was not involved in.
The Croatian Foreign Ministry insists that the agreement on the continental shelf is not new, but only settles details related to the 1968 agreement. The deal does not prejudge the border talks between Slovenia and Croatia, the ministry said on 12 August.
The proposed bill establishes that Slovenia is a successor to the 1968 agreement between the then Yugoslavia and Italy. Since Slovenia has a continental shelf, it also has the right and duty to protect its interests in it with the declaration of an ecological zone.
The main reason for an ecological zone is to allow effective measures to protect the marine ecosystem, Slovenia's territorial waters and the coastal areas, the authors of the bill state.
In accordance with international law, Slovenia has the option of protecting its maritime rights outside its territorial waters, which is of particular importance due to the recent declaration of an ecological zone by Croatia and similar plans by Italy.
The provisions of the law-to-be allow other countries the freedom of flyovers, the laying of cables and pipelines and other lawful uses of the sea as provided by international law, the proponents say.
According to the proposal, the border of the ecological zone would be agreed with the neighbouring countries in accordance with international law. Until then, the border will be the at geographical latitude 45 degrees, 10 minutes north.
Croatia and Slovenia are holding dialogue on the Slovenian bill envisaging the declaration of a protective ecological zone in the Adriatic. According to the Croatian Foreign Ministry, the two countries have been in constant diplomatic contact on the issue since last week.
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