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Motion · S6M-21177 · 23 Mar 2026

Rescinding the Scottish Adjacent Waters Boundaries Order 1999

Lodged by Kenneth Gibson (No Party Affiliation) Standard Motion 13 supporters

The motion

That the Parliament urges the UK Government to rescind the Scottish Adjacent Waters Boundaries Order 1999, which determines the co-ordinates of the boundaries on the east coast between Scotland and England; understands that this statutory instrument was introduced only days before the Scottish Parliament reconvened in 1999; considers that the median line approach, which was imposed on Scotland by the then UK Labour administration, reduced Scottish waters by 15,000 square kilometres, compared with the Continental Shelf (Jurisdiction) Order 1968; believes, with regret, that this decision removed any future Scottish control over fisheries and any oil, gas and other minerals in that sector; recognises that there are numerous examples of departures from the median line principle in several settlements around the world, including in judgements made by the International Court, and demands that a straight baseline be drawn from Eyemouth to Peterhead to take into account Scotland’s highly indented eastern coastline, in order to straighten the England-Scotland border back towards the original east-west alignment.

Supporters (13)

Source: the Scottish Parliament motions and amendments record.