The Case for Establishing Transboundary Mediterranean SPAMIs within the Adriatic and Ionian Seas

Abstract

The establishment of a Specially Protected Areas of Mediterranean Importance (SPAMI) in the South Adriatic–Ionian Strait has been put forward in a study sponsored by the European Commission. The establishment of a transboundary SPAMI is a measure that deserves careful consideration in the Northern and Central Adriatic, where the waters are bordered by Croatia, Italy and Slovenia. It may be noted that no area in the central portion of the region of concern – i.e., off the coasts of Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Greece, and the eastern coast of Italy – has yet been included under the special protection regime of the SPAMI List. However, if a treaty remains the best option, the Areas Protocol does not necessarily require a previous treaty for proposing the inclusion of a transboundary area in the SPAMI List. A transboundary SPAMI would not be legally feasible in the Ionian Sea, as Greece is not yet a party to the Areas Protocol.