The bill passed on Thursday during a marathon session at the Lower House of Congress that penalizes companies that carry out exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons in and around the disputed Malvinas islands without the authorization of Argentina was rejected yesterday by the United Kingdom.
The Foreign Office said that the law passed by Congress, which foresees the imprisonment and hefty fines for executives of companies that explore the Malvinas area, “doesn’t apply,” saying that the islanders’ right to exploit the area is “valid.”
The law foresees prison sentences of up to 15 years, fines equalling the price of 1.5 millon barrels of oil and the banning of persons or companies to operate with or within Argentina. “Internal laws are not applicable neither the Falklands (Malvinas) nor the Georgias or the South Sandwich Islands, the Foreign Office said.
The Foreign Office insisted the activities were legitimately controlled by the islands’ government. According to the Foreign Office statement, the hydrocarbon activity in and around the islands is “legal” and is under the control of the Malvinas government.
“The hydrocarbon activity carried out by any firm that operates in the continental platform of the islands are strictly regulated by the government, as explicited in the Convention of the United Nations of the law of the sea. Besides, the British government supports the right of the islanders to develop their own natural resources to their own economic benefit,” the spokesman insisted.
Argentine reaction
Shortly after London released its statement, many Argentine lawmakers commented on Britain’s reaction.
Deputy Guillermo Carmona (FpV-Mendoza), who sponsored the law approved by the Lower House on Thursday, told to Herald yesterday that the law was approved with the intent of “reaffirming Argentine sovereignty.” Carmona said that he “fully supports the reform despite the British reaction.”
He said “we don’t comment on British laws. So I don’t see the point of them questioning ours. Besides, we don’t discriminate the origins of the firms that intend to operate in our seas. We voted for penalizing all the companies that exploit our platforms without the due permit of the federal government,” Carmona said.
When asked if British parliamentarians were told about plans to approve the law in their visit to Argentina recently he said that “they were notified of our intention in Congress to protect what we consider to be our territory.”
Deputy Miguel Bazze (UCR-BA Province) also complained about the British reaction, stating that “the United Kingdom persists in its stance that the Malvinas belong to them, so it is natural that they complain about Argentine laws that concern it. It is hard to solve but Argentina is doing good diplomatic work. Britain should respect our decisions.”
Bazze said that “British officials know that Argentina legislates on Malvinas and that our stance about sovereignty is firm.”
A dispute that persists
The two countries went to war over the islands in 1982, at almost the end of Argentina’s dictatorship. Islanders in March voted to remain a UK territory but Argentina has stepped up its demands for sovereignty before the United Nations.
UK-based companies exploring for oil in the South Atlantic area include Rockhopper Exploration, Premier Oil and Falklands Oil and Gas Ltd..
According to the Wall Street Journal, drilling results in Malvinas have been mixed. After several years of exploration, the first discovery was made on May 2010 by Premier Oil. The firm estimates that it will begin to extract oil from the area known as “Sea Lion,” in the north of the islands, 216 kilometres from the coast.
Premier Oil is the company that had received several notifications from the Argentina embassy warning it for the alleged illegality of the activities being made regarding oil exploration in Malvinas territory.
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