Towards the sustainable management of the Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean Sea is moving from the Action Plan to the adoption of the Agenda 21, namely a sustainable development-inspired programme, extending co-operation between states to the economic development and social equity according to the UNCED Agenda 21. Analysis is focused on the role of a unique physical framework, characterized by complicated tectonic movements, a stage-based view of the changes in the economic contexts, including the main coastal and ocean uses, and the establishment of a continental shelf-based maritime jurisdictional framework. In the final part, the need to re-structure the decision-making systems is considered.