Croatia and Slovenia hearing at the Peace Palace from 2 to 13 June

COMMENCEMENT OF ORAL HEARING IN TERRITORIAL AND MARITIME ARBITRATION BETWEEN CROATIA AND SLOVENIA

The Hague, 29 May 2014

The Arbitral Tribunal in the arbitration concerning a territorial and maritime dispute between the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Slovenia will hold a hearing at the Peace Palace from Monday 2 June 2014 to Friday 13 June 2014.

Pursuant to the schedule for the hearing, which the Arbitral Tribunal has adopted in consultation with the Parties, each side will have three days to present its arguments, to be divided into two rounds. In the first round, Croatia will present its arguments in the afternoon of Monday, 2 June 2014 and in the morning and afternoon of Tuesday, 3 June 2014. Slovenia will then present its arguments in the morning and afternoon of Thursday, 5 June 2014, and in the morning of Friday, 6 June 2014. In the second round, Croatia will present its arguments in the morning and afternoon of Monday, 9 June 2014 and in the morning of Tuesday, 10 June 2014. Slovenia will then present its arguments in the afternoon of Thursday, 12 June 2014 and in the morning and afternoon of Friday, 13 June 2014.

The dispute was submitted to arbitration in accordance with an arbitration agreement between the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Slovenia dated 4 November 2009. Article 3(1) of the Arbitration Agreement provides:

“The Arbitral Tribunal shall determine
(a) the course of the maritime and land boundary between the Republic of Slovenia and the Republic of Croatia;
(b) Slovenia’s junction to the High Sea;
(c) the regime for the use of the relevant maritime areas.” Article 4 of the Arbitration Agreement provides:
“The Arbitral Tribunal shall apply
(a) the rules and principles of international law for the determinations referred to in Article 3(1)(a);
(b) international law, equity and the principle of good neighbourly relations in order to achieve a fair and just result by taking into account all relevant circumstances for the determinations referred to in Article 3(1)(b) and (c).”

Pursuant to Article 6(5) of the Arbitration Agreement, the hearing will not be open to the public. However, a summary of the arguments presented by the Parties in the course of the hearing will be issued in the form of a PCA Press Release after the closure of the hearing.

The Arbitral Tribunal is chaired by Judge Gilbert Guillaume (France), former President of the International Court of Justice. The other members of the Arbitral Tribunal are Professor Vaughan Lowe (United Kingdom), Judge Bruno Simma (Germany), Dr. Jernej Sekolec (Slovenia), and Professor Budislav Vukas (Croatia). By agreement of the Parties, the Permanent Court of Arbitration acts as Registry in the arbitration.

Contact: Permanent Court of Arbitration
E-mail: [email protected]