Regulations on scientific research in Vietnam's waters

The Decree stipulates the foreign organizations and individuals conducting scientific research in the internal water and territorial waters of Vietnam must be permitted by competent State authorities of Vietnam.

Foreign organizations and individuals conducting scientific research in the exclusive economic zones and continental shelf of Vietnam must be approved by the competent State authorities of Vietnam.

All the above activities of the foreign organizations and individuals will be showed by the scientific research licensing decision.

The  Decree also stipulates 8 cases for refusing license:

1. The scientific research activities of the foreign organizations and individuals are not for peace purpose; affect the sovereignty, sovereign rights, national jurisdiction rights, national defense, security activities and national interests on the sea of Vietnam; harm order and safety on the sea; and activities prohibited under the regulation of Vietnam Law.

2. Activities of scientific research of foreign organizations and individuals seriously affect basic investigations, scientific research, exploring, exploiting and using marine resources implemented legally in Vietnam’ waters.

3. Activities of scientific research of foreign organizations and individuals use explosives, toxic chemicals, other vehicles and equipment able to cause losses for people, resources and sea environmental pollution, excepting the case stipulated in Point C, Clause 2, Article 20 of the Law of Natural Resources and Environment of the sea and islands.

4. Activities of scientific research of foreign organizations and individuals with building artificial islands, projects on the sea.

5. The information in document for applying scientific research license of the foreign organizations and individuals are inaccurate or information about the objectives and contents of the scientific research activities is not suitable with the evident truth.

6.  Foreign organizations and individuals have been licensed previously to conduct scientific research in Vietnam's waters but did not implement or not fully implement their obligations accordingly to regulation of the Laws of Vietnam and the United Nations Convention on the Law of the sea in 1982 (UNCLOS-1982).

7. Activities of scientific research of foreign organizations and individuals with drilling seabed,   earth’s womb under seabed, excepting case of permission of licensing state authorities.

8. Foreign organizations and individuals implementing scientific research in the internal water, territorial waters of Vietnam with activities for drilling seabed, earth’s womb under seabed do not cooperate  with Vietnam side in scientific research when Vietnam side requests.

Besides, the Decree still concretely stipulates issuing, amending, supplementing, extending, reissuing licensing decision for scientific research and denotes the cases to suspend and withdraw the licensing decision for  scientific research, as well.

VietnamEnergy.vn