The EU has called for the 2016 international arbitration ruling on the South China Sea dispute between the Philippines and China to be “respected and fully implemented” on its tenth anniversary.
The ruling — issued on 12 July 2016 by an arbitral tribunal set up under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) — is “final and legally binding” on the parties to the case, the EU said according to a statement issued on Saturday by its High Representative Kaja Kallas.
UNCLOS is the main international treaty governing how countries use the world’s seas, including navigation rights and maritime boundaries, and the EU said it remains committed to it as the “universal and unified legal framework” for activities in oceans and seas.
The EU also highlighted “freedom of navigation and overflight”, including the right of transit passage — the ability for ships and aircraft to pass through certain waters and airspace — as part of the rights and duties set out in UNCLOS.
Support for ASEAN–China talks
The EU said it supports efforts by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and China to agree a “legally binding Code of Conduct” for the South China Sea that would be in line with UNCLOS.
Tensions and disputes in the area should be resolved through dialogue and peaceful means “in accordance with international law”, including the UN Charter and UNCLOS, the EU declared further.
It also said it was “deeply concerned” about a “steady increase” in tensions and “dangerous incidents” in the South China Sea, and opposed unilateral actions that could undermine regional stability and the international order based on international law and the rule of law.
