The Energy Charter Treaty has come of age, with almost 50 States parties and a small but growing body of arbitral case law. In this new study of the Treaty's investment protection provisions, Thomas Roe and Matthew Happold set out to identify and explain the Treaty's principal provisions and to suggest answers to some of the difficult problems thrown up by its drafting. They discuss in detail questions such as the standards of protection granted by the Treaty and the international responsibility of States for breaches of the Treaty, the various procedures available for the vindication of rights under the Treaty and the conditions to be satisfied before a claimant's complaint may be considered on the merits. Specific issues addressed include the impact of EU law on claims under the Treaty and the Treaty's provisions concerning taxation.

Energy Dispute Resolution: Investment Protection, Transit and the Energy Charter Treaty is a compilation of written contributions prepared in the context of a conference organized by the Energy Charter Secretariat, in cooperation with five other well-known legal institutions (the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, the British Institute of International and Comparative Law, the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, the International Chamber of Commerce and the Permanent Court of Arbitration). This highly successful conference took place in Brussels in October 2009. Energy Dispute Resolution: Investment Protection, Transit and the Energy Charter Treaty focuses on investment arbitration under the Energy Charter Treaty (or ECT) and on transit dispute resolution under the ECT. Part I consists of a review of awards, decisions and other developments in ECT investment arbitrations, of which nearly 30 were in the public domain as of 1 January 2011. Part II deals with the relationship between bilateral investment treaties, the ECT as a multilateral investment treaty, and European Union (EU) law, and addresses the question of whether conflict between these legal systems is inevitable. In Part III, the book reviews the highly developed provisional application mechanism of the ECT, particularly in relation to Russia, which signed the ECT in 1994 but has never ratified it. Part IV deals with the energy transit provisions of the ECT and the Treaty’s potential application with respect to East-West energy transit and supply disputes. The book also contains an Editor’s Preface, introductory and closing remarks, a table of contents, a detailed index, and an Appendix in the form of a CD-ROM containing the rules of arbitration of the three international arbitration mechanisms provided by the ECT (ICSID, SCC and ad hoc UNCITRAL arbitration). The book is of international application, particularly within the 51-country Energy Charter constituency (Western, Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, Japan, Turkey, Mongolia and Australia), but is relevant to energy and international arbitration lawyers worldwide.

Against the background of climate change, Ottavio Quirico explores how regulatory conflicts between the Energy Charter Treaty and the law of the European Union should be resolved.

Investor-State disputes are increasing and damage awards are often significant. It is thus no surprise that the investor-State dispute settlement (ISDS) system has come under scrutiny. Perceptions have arisen that ISDS is inconsistent, lacks transparency, and is simply unfair. This book delves into the ongoing worldwide debate and discussions regarding the ISDS system. Drawing contributors from around the world, the authors provide insights on critical topics and address the key question facing the ISDS system and the international community it serves: Should the present ISDS system be reformed, replaced, or simply remain as is? The contributors represent points of view ranging from academia to practice to governmental entities, addressing such topics as: the possible consequences of wholesale replacement or elimination of the current ISDS system; mediation as an alternative to resolve ISDS disputes; the creation of a multinational investment court or appellate review mechanism; lack of an early dismissal mechanism to eliminate meritless claims; issues regarding arbitrators, including their appointment and ethical obligations; how investors may retain their right to pursue claims for violations of investment protection following termination of an agreement; a State’s right to assert a counterclaim against an investor-claimant; the role of ISDS in promoting and protecting renewable energy production; the liability of State-controlled entities; the effects and implications of third-party funding; the duty to mitigate damages in the light of excessive damages awards; and improvements and issues relating to post-award enforcement, duration, and cost of ISDS. This book considers the ongoing deliberations and reform measures proposed by UNCITRAL’s Working Group III and provides insights into how several geographic regions and economic cooperation areas have sought to address the question of reform of the ISDS system, including the European Union, the Middle East, and the new United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. With its much-needed and deeply informed balancing of investor and State rights and duties, this book will be welcomed by all who practise in the ISDS field, including arbitrators, State governments and non-governmental organizations, regional economic organizations, and international investors.

A detailed article-by-article commentary on the Energy Charter Treaty, including coverage and analysis of the Treaty's history, background, jurisprudence, and reference to relationships with other treaties.

Treaty-based investment arbitration is becoming increasingly important in international commerce, with the vast majority of such investment cases being filed within the past three years. The issues associated with investment arbitration are therefore of growing interest not only to governments but also to the business and legal communities. Within this overall picture, the Energy Charter Treaty occupies a singular position, providing a unique multilateral investment protection regime for the energy sector. This book seeks to provide practical guidance to the complex operation of the Treaty.

The Commentary on the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) provides a unique, article-by-article, textual analysis of this important international agreement. The ECT outlines a multilateral framework for cross-border cooperation in the energy sector based on the principles of open competitive markets and sustainable development.

This work deals with the current state of investment dispute resolution and analyzes the problems associated with investor-state arbitration. The author examines developments in the existing legal framework and looks at the mechanisms under existing domestic and international systems - such as judicial review and class actions - to see if these can be applied to investment dispute resolution. The author concludes that the features of traditional arbitration are not flexible enough to meet the needs of this modern form of international dispute resolution. Investment arbitration is now entering a new phase of its development. The traditional, typically arbitration-related issues of consent, privity, and confidentiality are making room for the now more important questions of disclosure, transparency, legal certainty, and consistency. The author calls for setting up a "model procedure," specifically created for international investment disputes as this would enable the establishment of a "tailor-made" process for this ever-growing area of law.