Contiguous zone Law, 2004 (Law No. 63(Ι)/2004)

Shor! Tille. lnlerprelalion. 203 of 1988. Proclamation and Delimitation ot the Contiguous Zone. A LAW TO PROVIDE FOR THE PROCLAMATION OF THE CONTIGUOUS ZONE BY THE REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS (2nd Aprfl 2004) The House of Representatives enacts as follows: 1. This Law may be cited as the Contigu9us Zone Law of 2004. 2. ( 1) In this Law, unless the context otherwise requires "Republic" means the Republic of Cyprus; "Nautical mile" means a distance of one thousand eight hundred and fifty two meters; "Convention" means the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which was ratified by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Ratification) Law of 1988; "Contiguous Zone" means the zone contiguous to the territorial sea of the Republic, the limits of which are determined by Article 3. 3. ( 1) By this Law, the Contiguous Zone is proclaimed, the inner limit of which is identical with the outer limit of the territorial sea and the outer limit of which shall not extend beyond the 24 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breath of the territorial seo is measured. Rights in the 4. Contiguous Zone. 2 (2) In cases where part of the Contiguous Zone overlaps with part of the Contiguous Zone of any other State, proclaimed in accordance with the relevant provisions of the Convention. with opposite coasts to those of the Republic, the delimitation between the Contiguous Zone of the Republic and the Contiguous Zone of the other State, shall be effected by agreement; in the absence of an agreement, the delimitation of this zone shall not extend beyond the median line or the equidistance line, measured from the respective baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured. (3) The exact limits of the Contiguous Zone, as defined by sub section (2), shall be made public by Notification issued by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to be published in the official Gazette of the Republic. In the Contiguous Zone the Republic may exercise the control necessary to: (a) prevent infringement of its customs, fiscal, immigration or sanitary laws and regulations within its territory or territorial sea; (b) punish infringement of the laws and regulations referred in sub-section (a) committed within its territory or territorial sea: (c) control traffic of objects of an archaeological and historical nature found in this zone: 3 It is presumed that their removal from the sea-bed in this zone without the approval of the Republic, would result in an infringement within its territory or territorial sea of the laws and regulations in accordance with Article 303 of the Convention. Regulations. 5. ( l) The Council of Ministers may make regulations for the better carrying out of the provisions of this Law. Entry into force of this Low. {2) Without prejudice to the generality of sub-section ( l), these regulations may serve all or some of the following purposes, that is: {a) preventive measures aiming to the avoidance or prevention of the infringement of the Republic's customs, fiscal, immigration or sanitary laws and regulations; and (bl preventive measures aiming to the control, the avoidance or prevention of traffic of objects of an archaeological and historical nature found in this zone and to the licensing procedures for their removal. This Law enters into force on the 21.3.2003. /ff ME20040408.1