Series Editor Preface XIII
Preface XIV
Introduction 1
Part 1
The Legal Categories of Straits
1
Interpretation of the Legal Categories of Straits under the losc 7
2
The Legal Regimes of Historic Straits, Ice-covered Straits and Sui Generis Straits 21
3
The Determinants of the Legal Categories of Straits 39
Part 2
The Significance of Maritime Boundary Delimitation for the Legal Regime of the Estonian Straits
1
The Estonian-Russian Territorial Sea Boundary Delimitation in the Gulf of Finland 49
1
The Maritime Area in the Gulf of Finland Subject to Delimitation between Estonia and the Russian Federation 49
2
Pre-existing Agreements Pertaining to the Delimitation of the Maritime Area 52
3
Estonian-Russian Negotiations on the Maritime Boundary in the Gulf of Finland 61
4
Delimitation of the Territorial Sea by the Equidistance-special Circumstances Rule 65
5
The Significance of Islands for the Maritime Boundary Delimitation and for the Viro Strait’s Legal Regime 69
2
The Boundary Delimitation between Finland and the Soviet Union in the Gulf of Finland 73
1
The Existence of the Russian eez in the Gulf of Finland 73
2
The Acknowledgment of the Existence of the Russian eez in the Gulf of Finland 75
3
1
The Estonian-Latvian Negotiations on the Maritime Boundary in the Gulf of Riga 77
2
Pre-existing Agreements Pertaining to the Delimitation of the Maritime Area 81
3
Pre-existing Agreements on the Status of Ruhnu Island 84
4
The Status of Ruhnu Island under Article 7(1) of the losc 89
5
Delimitation in the Gulf of Riga 93
6
The eez in the Gulf of Riga 103
Part 3
The Significance of the Outer Limits of Maritime Zones for the Legal Regime of the Estonian Straits
1
The Irbe Strait in the Gulf of Riga 109
1
The Characteristics of the Irbe Strait 109
2
Straits of the Gulf of Riga Linking Two Parts of an eez 110
3
The Domestic Law of Estonia and Latvia on the Passage Rights of Warships and Other Foreign Vessels Used for National Non-commercial Purposes 112
4
The Legal Framework Applicable to the Irbe Strait 118
5
The Legal Framework Applicable to the Irbe Strait de lege ferenda 130
2
The Viro Strait in the Gulf of Finland 135
1
The Characteristics of the Viro Strait 135
2
The 1994 Agreement on the eez Corridor in the Gulf of Finland and Its Impact on the Domestic Legislation of Estonia and Finland 138
3
The eez Corridor in the Viro Strait under Articles 35(b) and 36 of the losc 148
4
The Viro Strait in the Context of a Potential Transit Passage Regime 149
Part 4
1
The Legal Framework of the Viro Strait under Previous International Agreements 161
2
The Estonian Supreme Court’s 1932 Interpretation of the Purpose of the 1925 Treaty between Estonia, Finland and the Soviet Union 170
3
The Soviet Union’s Reaction to the 1932 Judgment and the Following Decision of the Estonian Government on the Freedom of Navigation in the Gulf of Finland 174
4
The Legal Effect of the 1925 and 1926 Trilateral Treaties from 1940 to 1991 178
5
The Relationship of the 1994 Agreement on the eez Corridor to the 1925 and 1926 Trilateral Treaties Prior to Finland’s 2010 Withdrawal 191
6
The Termination of the 1925 and 1926 Trilateral Treaties 199
Part 5
The Significance of Domestic Law on the Internal Waters and State Continuity for the Legal Regime of the Sea of Straits
1
The Characteristics of the Sea of Straits 205
2
The Sea of Straits under the Potential Regime of Transit Passage 207
3
The Domestic Law of Estonia on Passage Rights in the Sea of Straits 208
4
The Sea of Straits as Non-international Straits 210
5
The Applicability of the Messina Exception to the Sea of Straits 223
Conclusion 229
A
The Legal Categories of Straits and Their Interrelationship 229
B
The Significance of Outer Limits of Maritime Zones for the Legal Regime of the Estonian Straits 232
C
The Significance of Long-standing International Conventions and Sui Generis Passage Regimes for the Estonian Straits 236
D
E
The Significance of Maritime Boundary Delimitation and State Continuity for the Legal Regime of the Estonian Straits 242
Annex 1. Maps 247
1
The eez corridor in the Gulf of Finland 247
2
The high seas corridor in the Gulf of Finland under the 1925 and 1926 agreements 248
3
The 3-nm-wide territorial sea of Estonia in 1923 250
4
The 12-nm-wide maritime zone of Estonia in 1923 251
5
The maritime boundary between Estonia and Latvia 252
6
Latvia’s eez and the potential eez corridor in the Gulf of Riga 253
7
The Russian Federation’s eez in the Gulf of Finland 254
8
Maritime boundary between Estonia and the Russian Federation 255
Annex 2. Historical Treaties 256
1
The 1925 Helsinki Convention for the Suppression of the Contraband Traffic in Alcoholic Liquors and Its Protocol 256
2
The 1925 Helsinki Agreement between Estonia, Finland and the Soviet Union 265
3
The 1926 Moscow Protocol 267
Bibliography 269
Monographs, Articles etc. 269
League of Nations and United Nations Publications 278
Chronological List of Explanatory Notes and Stenographic Records 279
Maritime Authorities’ Publications 280
Newspaper Articles and Press Releases 281
Miscellaneous 283
Chronological Table of International Instruments 284
Treaties 284
International Maritime Organization Instruments 287
Chronological List of Declarations 287
Table of National Legislation 289
Denmark’s Legislation 289
Estonia’s Legislation 289
Finland’s Legislation 291
Latvia’s Legislation 291
The Russian Federation’s Legislation 292
Sweden’s Legislation 293
Files of the Estonian National Archives 294
Chronological Table of Cases 295
Chronological List of Maps 297
Index 299