Week of 25 to 31 May 2026
Legislation / regulation
Order of 26 May 2026 concerning the assisted temporary cessation of trawler activity in the Mediterranean for 2026. Decree No. 2026-412 of 29 May 2026 establishing cash-flow assistance for fishing businesses in light of the effects of the Middle East conflict on fuel prices.
Case law
No notable decision identified within the French courts.
International
ITLOS, Special Chamber, 27 May 2026 — judgment in the “Heroic Idun” case (No. 2) (Marshall Islands/Equatorial Guinea): violation by Equatorial Guinea of Articles 87(1), 90 and 92(1) UNCLOS (interception in the EEZ of São Tomé and Príncipe, 12 August 2022), and of Articles 56(1), 58, 87, 89 and 92(1) (fine imposed on the captain on a legally unenforceable basis); violation of the crew’s rights (forced transfer to Nigeria, 4 votes to 1). Compensation exceeding 12 million dollars — the largest award ever granted by ITLOS, a major decision on the interplay between freedom of navigation, the suppression of piracy, and the coastal State’s enforcement jurisdiction in the EEZ.
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