The theme "Agreed maritime boundaries" contains the delineation limits between maritime spaces under sovereignty or jurisdiction of France et neighbouring States which are established by ratification of a boundary agreement or by a decision of an arbitral tribunal or an international legal body entitled to deal with cases relating to the Law of the Sea.

In the Law of the Sea, a straight baseline is composed by a loxodrome connecting two points of the low-water line or low-tide elevations if there is a lighthouse or similar permanent infrastructure on them. The conditions to draw such lines are defined in Article 7 of UNCLOS. The straight baselines are part of the baselines of a coastal State below which the internal waters are defined. Those straight baselines, in addition with the normal baseline, compose the inner limit of the territorial sea and are the basis of the computations of the outer limits of other maritime spaces defined by UNCLOS. They are also composed of the closure line for bays and rivers in compliance with Aricles 9 and 10 of UNCLOS. The objects of the theme "Straight baselines" result from Shom computations and are published by decree of the French Republic.

In compliance with Article 33 of UNCLOS, the outer limit of the contiguous zone is located at 24 nautical miles from the baselines. The objects of the theme "Outer limit of the contiguous zone" result from Shom computations and are compliant with Article 10 of the French Order No 2016-1687 of 8 December 2016.

In compliance with Article 3 of UNCLOS, the outer limit of the territorial sea is located at 12 nautical miles from the baselines. It corresponds to the inner limit of the contiguous and exclusive economic zones. The objects of the theme "Outer limit of the territorial sea" result from Shom computations and are published by decree of the French Republic. Some of those limits are note published by decree yet.

Limits defining ship classes based on their assigned operating maritime zones. These limits were produced by CEREMA in application of section II.14 of article 1 of decree no. 200945 amended on 30 August 1984. Navigation categories are defined in article 223.2 of the rules appended to the order of 23 November 1987 on shipping safety.

<strong>This data is not up to date with the order dated 30 August 2021 amending the order dated 23 November 1987 on ship safety, which now raises the limit for category 4 ships to 5 miles from the nearest coast.</strong> The navigation category allocated to a ship is indicated on its shipping license, together with any applicable restrictions. This limit was produced by Shom in application of section II.14 of article 1 of decree no. 84-810 amended on 30 August 1984. Navigation categories are defined in article 110.10 of the rules appended to the order of 23 November 1987 on shipping safety.

French Ministry of Culture / DRASSM - Shom The product "Limit of preventive archeology licence fee" contains the limits for the preventive archeology licence fee (1 nautical mile) as defined in the French Heritage Code. This limit is managed by the Department of Underwater Archeological Research (DRASSM) of the Ministry of Culture. This limit, defined by the Heritage Code at 1 nautical mile from the low-water line, permits to delineate the areas where the licence fee for preventive archeology at sea is applied. The product "Limit of preventive archeology licence fee" is to use in addition to the digital product “Maritime Limits and Boundaries” of Shom (French: “Délimitations maritimes”) which represents the limits of the French maritime spaces of sovereignty or jurisdiction through the World. The product “Maritime Limits and Boundaries” (French: “Délimitations maritimes”) can be viewed and downloaded on the French national portal of maritime limits (https://maritimelimits.gouv.fr).

Geographic information layer including the Saline limit of waters - mainland France, French Guiana, Martinique and Guadeloupe. This layer must be considered as an initial version to be validated locally by the competent services. Shom actively seeks out any information which could complete and improve the precision of this layer. The streams and rivers listed correspond to those mentioned in the applicable regulations and/or by a competent Government service. An inventory of existing legal and geographic information was drawn up prior to production in the form of an enquiry targeting services during the second half of 2014. The source legal text and a summary of digital conversion processes is available for each boundary proposed.Updated july 2018

The contiguous zone is adjacent to the territorial sea and may not extend beyond 24 nautical miles from the baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is measured. The coastal State may exercise the control necessary to: - prevent infringement of its customs, fiscal, immigration or sanitary laws and regulations within its territory or territorial sea; - punish infringement of the above laws and regulations committed within its territory or territorial sea.

The "Sovereignty and jurisdiction maritime spaces of France" product contains the areas of sovereignty and jurisdiction maritime spaces of France all around the world.<br /><br /> It is constituted of 2D areas objects split into four categories :<br /> - the territorial sea (from baselines to a distance of 12 nautical miles or to maritime boundaries with neighbouring countries);<br /> - the contiguous zone (from 12 nautical miles to 24 nautical miles from the baselines or to maritime boundaries with neighbouring countries);<br /> - the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) (from 12 nautical miles to 200 nautical miles from the baselines or to maritime boundaries with neighbouring countries);<br /> - the continental shelf over the 200 nautical miles limit (from 200 nautical miles from the baselines to the limits recommended by the Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) or to the maritime boundaries with neighbouring countries).<br /> Internal waters, which constitute a space of sovereignty beyond the baselines, are not included in the "Sovereignty and jurisdiction maritime spaces of France" product.<br /> The "Sovereignty and jurisdiction maritime spaces of France" product may not be considered as an enforceable right. Only the “Maritime limits and boundaries” product, that can be displayed and interrogated on the website data.shom.fr (maritime boundaries category) and also downloaded on the French national portal of maritime limits (https://maritimelimits.gouv.fr), may be considered so.<br /><br /> December 2022 version.