453
1 INTRODUCTION
Poland established a contiguous zone in November
2015.Theestablishmentofthecontiguouszoneought
to provide the proper use of the rights and
jurisdiction that Poland, as the coastal State, can
exercise under the UNCLOS. The coastal States are
free to establish the contiguous zone as well as an
exclusiveeconomiczonewithinthelimit
sindicatedin
theUNCLOS.
ThePolishcontiguouszoneextendsto24nautical
miles from the baselines of the Republic of Poland
determined in accordance with international law
reflectedintheUNCLOS.Withinthecontiguouszone
oftheRepublicofPolandtheshipsandaircraftofall
countries enjoy the high seas freedom of navigation
andoverflightandthelayingofsubmarinecablesand
pipelines,andotherint
ernationallylawfulusesofthe
sea relatedto those freedoms compatible with other
provisionsofinternationallaw.
2 LEGALSTATUSOFTHECONTIGUOUSZONE
The contiguous zone was created by int
ernational
customary law. The literature of the subject has
referred to the origin of the zone in the “Hovering
Acts”enactedbytheUnitedKingdomagainstforeign
smuggling ships hovering within distances of up to
eightleagues(24nm)fromtheshore[1].
Inthecontemporarylawofthesea,thecontiguous
zone was codified for the first ti
me at the Geneva
conferencein1958,intheGenevaConventiononthe
TerritorialSeaandtheContiguousZone.Priortothe
Genevaconference,inJuly1956,thedraftpreparedby
The Polish Contiguous Zone
–
the Exercise of the
Coastal State Jurisdiction and Control
D.Pyć
UniversityofGdańsk,Gdańsk,Poland
ABSTRACT:InNovember2015Polandestablishedacontiguouszoneand,aftermorethanayear,inJanuary
2017, adopted the regulation on the baselines, an external boundary of the Polish territorial sea and the
contiguous zone of the Republic of Poland. After many decades, it was a successful a
ttempt to establish a
contiguouszonereturningtotheconceptofthe30’softhelastcentury.TheUnitedNationsConventiononthe
LawoftheSea(UNCLOS)recognizesthatthecoastalStatemayestablishazonecontiguoustoitsterritorialsea
thatextends to24nauticalmilesfromthebaselinesofthecoastalState,knownasthecontiguous zone,and
exercisethecontrolnecessarytopreventinfringementofit
scustoms,fiscal,immigration,orsanitarylawsand
regulationswithinitsterritoryorterritorialsea,ortopunishsuchinfringementscommittedwithinitsterritory
or territorial sea. This pa
per presents a few general comments on the Polish contiguous zone taking into
accounttheinternationalrootsofthatlegalinstitutionofthelawofthesea,ofsuchimportance,alsoforthe
securityreasons.
http://www.transnav.eu
the International Journal
on Marine Navigation
and Safety of Sea Transportation
Volume 11
Number 3
September 2017
DOI:10.12716/1001.11.03.09
454
theInternationalLawCommission(ICL)adoptedthe
rule that the contiguous zone established to protect
(understood as the prevention of violations of the
rights of the coastal State) the customs regulations,
fiscal (tax) and sanitary ones of the coastal State
within its territory and the territorial sea cannot
extend beyond
12 nautical miles from the baselines
[2].ICLhadproposedatextidenticaltothatadopted.
InaccordancewithArticle24 ofthe1958Geneva
Convention,inazoneofthehighseascontiguousto
its territorial sea, the coastal State may exercise the
control necessary to: prevent infringement of
its
customs, fiscal, immigration or sanitary regulations
within its territory or territorial sea; punish
infringement of the above regulations committed
within its territory or territorial sea (Art. 24(1)). The
contiguous zone may not extend beyond 12 miles
from the baseline from which the breadth of the
territorialseaismeasured(Art.
24(2)).Generally,the
adoption of Article 24 the 1958 Geneva Convention
resulted in the unification of different approaches
regardingthewidthofthecontiguouszone.Article33
oftheUNCLOSisinlinewiththepreviousapproach
of the Geneva Convention. Article 33(1) of the
UNCLOS follows Article 24(1) of
the Geneva
ConventionontheTerritorialSeaandtheContiguous
Zone. However, according to Article 33(2) of the
UNCLOS, the contiguous zone may not extend
beyond 24 nautical miles from the baselines from
whichthebreadthoftheterritorialseaismeasured.
Currently, the Polish maritime zones are covered
by one
act and one regulation, namely — the 1991
MaritimeAreasofRepublic ofPoland and Maritime
AdministrationAct[3]andthe2017Regulationonthe
Baselines,ExternalBoundaryofthePolishTerritorial
SeaandContiguousZoneoftheRepublicofPoland,
respectively [4]. The 2017 Regulation relates to the
Polish
baselines[5].
Nevertheless, in the thirties of the last century,
Poland benefited from the territorial sea, which
extended the width of three nautical miles. At that
time, Poland also had the contiguous zone with a
widthofthreenauticalmiles.
Accordingtothe1932OrderofthePresidentofthe
Republic
concerning the maritime boundary of the
State [6], “the territorial waters of the State shall be
bounded by a line drawn at a constant distance of
threenauticalmilesfromthecoastandtheboundary
of internal waters” (Article 1). Within six nautical
milesfromthecoastlineandparallel
toit,boundary
waters adjacent lane runs, in which the State is
entitledtoexercisethesovereignpowers inthefield
of coastal security (Article 3). Sovereign powers,
exercised by the State in its territorial waters, the
adjacent lane and the coastal waters of the Polish
customsarea,areatthe
samelevelperformedinthe
airspaceoverlyingthewaters,andbeneathitssurface
(Article 5). According to the 1933 Order of the
President of the Republic concerning customs law
“theareaoftheseaextendingsixnauticalmilesfrom
the customs boundary shall constitute the maritime
customszone”(Article5)
[7].
The Decree of 23 March 1956 concerning the
protectionoftheStateboundariesconstitutedthatthe
State boundary of the Polish People’s Republic [8]
was the line separating the territory of the Polish
People’s Republic from the territory of the other
Statesandfromtheopensea.Theboundarylines
also
demarcatedtheairspace,thewaterandtheinteriorof
the earth in the vertical plane (Article 1). The
boundaryoftheterritorialwatersandthecontiguous
zoneranparalleltothecoastlineandtotheboundary
oftheinternalmaritimewatersandextendedfromthe
landboundarybetween
thePolishPeople’sRepublic
and Germany to the land boundary between the
Polish People’s Republic and the Union of Soviet
SocialistRepublics(Article2).Thecoastlinewasthe
line of contact between the sea and the land at low
water(Article3).
Accordingtothe1977ActontheTerritorial
Seaof
thePolishPeople’sRepublic[9]theterritorialseawas
the maritime area of the width of 12 nautical miles
measured from the coastline or from the baseline
closing Polish internal waters at the Bay of Gdańsk.
The1977ActprovidedfortheStatesovereigntyover
the territorial
sea, the airspace over such waters, as
wellastheseabedandsubsoiloftheterritorialsea.It
also safeguarded the right of innocent passage for
foreignships.This1977Actwasrepealedbythe1991
Act.
The1991Actconcerningthemaritimeareasofthe
Republicof Poland and the
maritime administration
defines the legal situation of Polish maritime areas
[10]. It should be mentioned, that at that time, the
maritimezoneprovidedbytheUNCLOS,butomitted
bythe1991Act,wasthecontiguouszone.Since1991
theActhasbeenamendedseveraltimes.
The very last important amendment
of the 1991
Act, which relates to maritime areas, is the
establishment of the Polish contiguous zone in 2015
and adoption of the Regulation on the baselines,
externalboundaryofthePolishterritorialseaandthe
contiguouszoneoftheRepublicofPoland.
Atpresent,the maritime areas of the Republic
of
Poland are: inland waters, territorial sea, the
contiguous zone and the exclusive economic zone.
Theinternalwatersandtheterritorialseaarepartof
theterritoryofPoland.
The 1991 Act defines the zone as “a zone
contiguous to the territorial sea of the Republic of
Poland, where the
outer limit extends no more than
24 nautical miles from the baselines”. In the
contiguous zone, the Republic of Poland shall have
therightsto:
prevent infringement of Polish customs, fiscal or
sanitary regulations, as well as regulations
concerningillegalmigration,withinitsterritory;
pursue, seize and punish perpetrators
of an
infringement of regulations mentioned above
when the infringement took place in the Polish
landterritory,internalwatersor territorial sea of
the Republic of Poland, or when the duty to
pursue, seize and punish perpetrators by the
EuropeanUnionlaworinternationalagreements,
towhichtheRepublicof
PolandisaStateParty.
Thecontiguouszoneisanareaoftheseaadjacent
to the territorial sea, covering a part of the Polish
exclusiveeconomiczone.
On14February2017theRegulationoftheCouncil
ofMinistersonthebaselines,externalboundaryofthe
Polish territorial sea and contiguous
zone of the
455
Republic of Poland entered into force (see three
attachedchartsfromtheRegulation).
Figure1. Outer limit of the Polish territorial sea and the
outerlimitofthecontiguouszone–Westernpart
Figure2. Outer limit of the polish territorial sea and the
outerlimitofthecontiguouszone–Centralpart
Figure3. Outer limit of the polish territorial sea and the
outerlimitofthecontiguouszone–Easternpart
3 ENFORCEMENTJURISDICTIONOVERTHE
CONTIGUOUSZONEFORTHEPURPOSEOF
PREVENTIVECONTROL
Poland does recognise coastal State jurisdiction in
accordancewithinternationallawon thecontiguous
zone,aswellasinothermaritimeareas,inwhichthe
coastalStatemayexerciseitsjurisdictiontopreventor
punish infringement of its
regulations limited
accordingtothelawofthesea.
TheUNCLOScameintoforcein1994.Atthattime
53ofthe148coastalstateshadtheircontiguouszones.
In contrast, a few years later, in 1999, already 70
coastal States had a 24 nautical mile or less
contiguouszone,
andonlyoneStateunclaimedfora
wider area than is allowed by the UNCLOS.
Currently,about90coastalStateshavethecontiguous
zones.UndertheUNCLOSthecontiguouszonefalls
not within the high seas but within an exclusive
economiczone.AcoastalStateisfreetoestablisheda
contiguous
zone within the limits indicated in the
UNCLOS[11][12].
According to international law, reflected in the
applicable provisions of the UNCLOS, in a zone
contiguoustoitsterritorialsea,thecoastalStatemay
exercisethecontrolnecessarytopreventinfringement
of its customs, fiscal, immigration, or sanitary laws
and
regulations within its territory or territorial sea,
ortopunishsuchinfringementscommittedwithinits
territory or territorial sea. The contiguous zone may
not extend beyond 24nautical miles from the
baselinesfromwhichthebreadthoftheterritorialsea
ismeasured.
The coastal State does not possess sovereignty
over the
contiguous zone, as it does in the internal
waters and territorial sea. The coastal State enjoys
jurisdiction in the contiguous zone for the limited
purposesspecifiedinArticle33(1)oftheUNCLOS.
Jurisdiction is only claimed for the control
necessary to prevent infringements. E.J.Molenaar
argues that within the contiguous zone
the coastal
States have no prescriptive or enforcement
jurisdiction over the protection and preservation of
themarineenvironment,aswellasovervessel‐source
airpollution[13].Y.Tanakaprovidesthataccordingto
literallymeaningofArticle33(1)thecoastalStatemay
exerciseonlyenforcement,notlegislative,jurisdiction
within its contiguous zone.
According to a literal
interpretationofArticle33,thecoastalStatehasonly
enforcement jurisdiction in its contiguous zone. G.
Fiztmaurice stressed that the power over the
contiguous zone is “essentially supervisory and
preventative”[14].Nevertheless,Y.Tanakadescribes
a liberal view concerning jurisdiction over the
contiguous zone and indicates
that the coastal State
mayregulatetheviolationofitsmunicipallawwithin
thecontiguouszone.
Thecontiguouszonemustbeexplicitlyclaimed.A
contiguous zone may be claimed wherever the
territorialseaexistsinaccordancewiththeapplicable
baseline principles. The contiguous zone does not
form part of a coastal
State’s territory. Jurisdiction
exercised within the contiguous zone cannot be
presumedtoexistbut musthaveanexplicitbasis in
internationallaw. When the coastal State establishes
theexclusiveeconomiczone,thecontiguouszoneisa
456
partthereof.Takingthisviewintoaccount,itisrather
clear that the coastal State may exercise both,
legislative and enforcement, jurisdiction for some
limited purposes according to the UNCLOS
provisions.Thecontiguouszoneisalsoimportantfor
the purpose of illegal migration. Drug traffic and
illicittrafficinrefugees
andimmigrantsisofconcern
forthePolishauthorities.
The State practice since 1958 has not always
followedtheconventionalprovisionsonthestatusof
the zone. Some States claim, quite clearly, both
enforcementandlegislativejurisdiction.Morecoastal
States claim the contiguous zone for the purposes
otherthanthose
listedintheConvention,notablyfor
securitypurposes[15].
Thedomesticlegislationonthecontiguouszoneis
rather in compliance with the provisions of the
UNCLOS. Although, several States have claimed a
contiguouszoneforthe“protectionoftheirsecurity”.
AccordingtoArticle33(1)(a)theUNCLOSmentions
onlycustoms,fiscal,
immigrationorsanitary lawfor
controlpurposes.
Onthebasisofthe1958GenevaConventiononthe
Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone only a few
States enacted the legislation establishing a zone,
wherebycontrolnecessarytopreventinfringementof
customs, fiscal, immigration or sanitary laws and
regulationscouldbe
exercisedupto12milesfromthe
baselines.Article111(1)providesthatthecoastalState
mayundertakethehotpursuitofforeignshipswithin
thecontiguouszone.
The extension of the contiguous zone is an
importantstepinpreventingtheremovalofcultural
heritage found within 12 nautical miles beyond the
externalborderoftheterritorialsea.Accordingtothe
provisions of the UNCLOS the coastal State in its
exclusiveeconomiczonehasnosovereigntyrightsto
regulate activities pertaining to the underwater
cultural heritage as well as the continental shelf
beyond the contiguous zone. But Article 303 of the
UNCLOS
granted to the coastal States exercising
jurisdiction to prevent or punish the unauthorized
removal of objects of an archeological and historical
naturefromtheseabedwithinitscontiguouszone.In
order to control traffic in such objects, the coastal
Statemay,inapplyingArticle33,presumethattheir
removal from the
seabed in the contiguous zone,
withoutitsapproval,wouldresultinaninfringement
within its territory or territorial sea of the laws and
regulations[Art.303(2)]. Article 303 establishes fictio
juris of competence by providing jurisdiction to the
coastalStatesforpreservationandprotectionbeyond
theirterritorialseainthe
contiguouszones[16].
4 CONCLUSIONS
Thecontiguouszoneisestablishedfortheprotection
of national interests and claims to prescriptive
jurisdiction. Article 33 UNCLOS allows control only
withrespecttothefourcategoriesoflawslisted.
InthethirtiesofthelastcenturyPolandbenefited
fromtheterritorialsea,whichextended
thewidthof
threenauticalmiles.Atthattime,Polandalsohadthe
contiguouszonewithawidthofthreenauticalmiles.
In1978thePolishcontiguouszonewasabolishedin
connection with the establishment of a twelve‐mile
territorialsea.TheMaritimeAreasoftheRepublicof
PolandandtheMaritimeAdministrationActentered
into force in 1991. This Act has not established the
contiguouszone.
MostcoastalStates that claim a contiguous zone,
reproduce the text of Article 33 of the UNCLOS.
Extension of the contiguous zone to the limits
permittedbythelawoftheseawillhave
aninfluence
on the law enforcement and control as well as the
securityinterestsofPoland.
On 19 November 2015 the Act amending the
Maritime Areas of the Republic of Poland and the
Maritime Administration Act and certain other Acts
entered into force, on the basis of which the
contiguous
zonewasestablished(Art.2para.1)This
particular change is the establishment of the
contiguouszoneinaccordancewiththeprovisionof
Article33oftheUNCLOS.
REFERENCES
[1]K. Aquilina, Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone,
[in:]ed.D.J.Attard,eds.M.Fitzmaurice,N.A.Martines
Gutiérrez The IMLI Manual on International Maritime
Law,TheLawoftheSea,vol.I,Oxford2014.pp.56‐70.
[2]“On the high seas adjacent to its territorial sea, the
coastal State
may exercise the control necessary to
preventandpunishtheinfringement,withinitsterritory
or territorial sea, of its customs, immigration, fiscal or
sanitaryregulations.Suchcontrolmaynotbeexercised
at distance beyond 12 miles from the base line from
which the width of the territorial sea is measured”,
Yearbook of the International Law Commission, 1956,
vol. II, p. 5, www.legal.un.org/ilc/publications/
yearbooks/english/ilc_1956_v2.pdf
[3]OfficialJournalof2015,Item1642.
[4]OfficialJournalof2017,Item183.
[5]K. Marciniak, The PolishBaselines and the Contiguous
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Sea, Maritime
Law, vol. XXXII, Gdańsk 2016 pp.49‐86,
www.pm.czasopisma.pan.pl
[6]OfficialJournal1932,No.92,Item789.
[7]OfficialJournal1933,No.84,Item610.
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[9]OfficialJournal1977,No.43,Item233.
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Pepłowska, The Law
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[12]A/47/512(1992),p.7.
[13]E.J. Molenaar, Coastal State Jurisdiction over Vessel‐
SourcePollution,KluwerLawInternational,1998,p.175]
[14]Y. Tanaka, The International Law of the Sea,
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[15]R.R. Churchill, A.V. Lowe, The Law of
the Sea,
ManchesterUniversityPress,1988,pp.112‐119.
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