Market access is the most important liberalizing principle in the General Agreement on Trade in Services (GATS). It entails a general prohibition of quantitative restrictions, which however is conditional on commitments undertaken by Members in their respective Schedules of Commitments. Case-law...

Over the last few years, the right to regulate has evolved from a rather inconspicuous, mistrusted concept to a necessary component of international investment agreements. This brief study offers a complementary account of the right to regulate compared to the author’s treatment of the topic a...

In modern day investment arbitrations, states can no longer be seen as passive players suffering through a process conducted at their expense. They possess an impressive arsenal of means which enable them to “strike back” once an investor contemplates or has initiated arbitration. Although...

This paper reviews the relationship between international investment agreements (IIAs) and foreign direct investment (FDI). It is organised in two parts. The first part explores the generic structure of IIAs and highlights the components that are particularly relevant to FDI. It then gives an...

French Abstract: Le droit international des investissements est un domaine en pleine évolution, dont la réforme est apparue comme une nécessité, au risque de voir la protection internationale d’investissements s’effondrer. L’Union européenne, qui a commencé à négocier ses premiers...

The ongoing reform of investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) underlines the pertinence of an old question that has received various and conflicting answers: is investment arbitration a public or a private method of dispute settlement? A key criticism levelled at investment treaty arbitration...

This commentary focuses on Article 8.30 CETA, which is entitled ‘Ethics’ and sets ethical rules for the Members of the CETA Tribunal and the Appellate Tribunal. The European Commission presents this precept in a succinct paragraph, highlighting the key issues addressed and the main novelties...

Africa has grown significantly in this decade and is attracting investors. Economic growth can however be cyclical and the World is now going through a major economic downturn and Africa is not exempted. In different countries, including African States, parties may find themselves in positions...

For decades the prevailing view in the United States and many Western countries has been that China does not appropriately respect intellectual property rights. These beliefs lie at the heart of President Donald Trump's current trade war with China. Despite substantial geopolitical debate over...

With expanding global commerce by U.S. securities issuers, the potential for significant exposure to international corruption increases along with risks associated with anti-bribery laws. This article examines recent developments related to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), which has...