Landlocked Countries as Actors in the Maritime Domain - Legal and Commercial Context, Opportunities and Challenges: Taking Port of Hamburg as an Example

Description

As a result of the First World War, the Treaty of Versailles of 1920 and the Treaty of Saint-Germain of 1919 resulted in a couple of landlocked countries (LLC). However, these two treaties together with subsequent multilateral conventions like that of Barcelona of 1921 stipulated dedicated rights of free access to seaports, inland waterways, transit from or to the hinterland and flag status of merchant fleet for 44 LLC today. This status enables them to get the sea access and play an active role in the present maritime domain. The aim of the paper is two-fold. Firstly, it analyses to what extent LLC have the sea access and participate in the maritime domain today. Secondly, it wants to show its implications, taking the Port of Hamburg as an example. There, one specific regulation of the Treaty of Versailles was that Germany had to offer Czechoslovakia a defined area in the Port of Hamburg for the next 99 years. In 1929, this option was drawn so that still today, the Czech Republic (as its legal successor) is a lessee of free port areas there (namely Moldauhafen and Saalehafen). In connection with hinterland transport by inland navigation over the river Elbe or transit operations overland by road or rail, this allows free and unrestricted sea access. As this lease contract runs out in 2028, Czech policy makers have to deal now with scenarios of future possibilities how to capitalize on the forthcoming changes, which may include a swap of the existing port areas with one at Kuhwerderhafen. Accordingly, the paper analyses the driving forces and consequences from a port network point of view and its dynamics. Furthermore, it deals with the opportunities, challenges and threads related to such a change scenario including an assessment of this swap concerning its reasonability and feasibility. The paper questions whether benefits for maritime commerce and opportunities by Czech or foreign public or private investors accrue from it.

Period	26 Jun 2019 → 28 Jun 2019
Event title	24th IAME 2019 Conference
Event type	Unknown
Degree of Recognition	International