This Protocol regulates matters of importance to the trilateral relationship between the Parties in relation to the delimitation of use of respective continental shelves. The Governments of the three signatory States, recognize that two treaties resulting from trilateral negotiations and based on a judgement of the International Court of Justice, i.e. the Treaty between the Kingdom of Denmark and the Federal Republic of Germany concerning the delimitation of the continental shelf under the North Sea and the Treaty between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Federal Republic of Germany concerning the delimitation of the continental shelf under the North Sea together determine the configuration and extent of the German part of the continental shelf under the North Sea and consequently are closely interrelated.