Developments of multi-use floating islands are accelerated by an increase in offshore activities and pressing needs to create extra space in coastal regions for the surging population. The Horizon 2020 EU funded research project Space@Sea developed a modular floating island concept for offshore multi-use applications and examined current legal issues and barriers concerning its development. In this paper a floating island is defined to be “an artificially created floater, or set of connected floaters, moored to the seabed of which the topside can be used for activities similar to activities on land”. This paper aims to delve into governance issues like the assignment of authority on a multi-use floating island and the shift from regulating offshore living for working purpose to living purposes, as well as maritime law and property law (using the Netherlands as case study). Within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) a coastal state can establish, locate, and govern the floating island. For the high seas the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is the most probable organisation to initiate a discussion on settlement of floating islands. For each activity on the floating island, limiting criteria regarding motions as well as safety rules and regulations need to be established. Industry and housing will have completely different requirements regarding safety which will not be possible to fit in a one size fits all regulation. This case study shows that current Dutch property laws prohibit the division of ownership of buildings built on floating objects. They can only be owned together as one object. For urban expansion, future inhabitants will want to have the possibility to buy property, requiring an amendment of current property laws. It is to be expected that other countries will have similar or additional governance challenges. The Space@Sea project has developed a technical solution for floating islands which have identified barriers for multi-use in the rules and regulations described in this paper. The paper urges the responsible institutions and stakeholders to take on their roles in overcoming these barriers.

中文翻译：

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人工浮岛的法律问题

海上活动的增加以及在沿海地区为激增的人口创造额外空间的迫切需求，加速了多用途浮岛的发展。地平线 2020 欧盟资助的研究项目 Space@Sea 开发了一种用于海上多用途应用的模块化浮岛概念，并研究了与其发展相关的当前法律问题和障碍。在本文中，浮岛被定义为“一个人工制造的漂浮物或一组连接的漂浮物，系泊在海床上，其上部可用于类似于陆地活动的活动”。本文旨在深入探讨治理问题，例如多用途浮岛上的权力分配以及从监管离岸工作目的到生活目的的转变，以及海事法和财产法（使用荷兰作为案例研究）。在专属经济区 (EEZ) 内，沿海国家可以建立、定位和管理浮岛。对于公海，国际海事组织（IMO）是最有可能发起关于浮岛解决问题的讨论的组织。对于浮岛上的每项活动，都需要制定有关运动的限制标准以及安全规则和规定。工业和住房在安全方面会有完全不同的要求，这不可能符合所有规定。本案例研究表明，当前的荷兰财产法禁止对建造在浮动物体上的建筑物的所有权进行划分。它们只能作为一个对象一起拥有。对于城市扩张，未来的居民希望有可能购买房产，这需要修改现行的财产法。预计其他国家将面临类似或额外的治理挑战。Space@Sea 项目为浮岛开发了一种技术解决方案，该解决方案在本文所述的规则和条例中确定了多用途障碍。该文件敦促负责任的机构和利益相关者在克服这些障碍方面发挥作用。Space@Sea 项目为浮岛开发了一种技术解决方案，该解决方案在本文所述的规则和条例中确定了多用途障碍。该文件敦促负责任的机构和利益相关者在克服这些障碍方面发挥作用。Space@Sea 项目为浮岛开发了一种技术解决方案，该解决方案在本文所述的规则和条例中确定了多用途障碍。该文件敦促负责任的机构和利益相关者在克服这些障碍方面发挥作用。