ABSTRACT
The sea has always played an important role in the life of Western Europe; there are sixteen states with coastal waters in either the Atlantic, the North Sea, the Baltic or the Mediterranean and some countries, like France, Spain Sweden and the UK, abut more than one of these major bodies of water (Alexander 1963). Traditionally, access to the sea has been the key to participation in intercontinental trade and has been exploited by many European states since the Middle Ages. Even today, with the widespread importance of air travel, access to the sea is a much-prized asset, offering scope for greatly enhanced flexibility and independence in international affairs at all levels.
