investor-state disputes | ISDS

Investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) refers to a way of handling conflicts under international investment agreements whereby companies from one party are allowed to sue the government of another party. This means they can file a complaint and seek compensation for damages. Many BITs and investment chapters of FTAs allow for this if the investor’s expectation of a profit has been negatively affected by some action that the host government took, such as changing a policy. The dispute is normally handled not in a public court but through a private abritration panel. The usual venues where these proceedings take place are the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (World Bank), the International Chamber of Commerce, the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law or the International Court of Justice.

ISDS is a hot topic right now because it is being challenged very strongly by concerned citizens in the context of the EU-US TTIP negotiations, the TransPacific Partnership talks and the CETA deal between Canada and the EU.

EurActiv | 14-Oct-2016
La Commission européenne devra justifier devant la justice le secret entourant son analyse de la légalité du système de règlement des différends entre investisseurs et États du TTIP et du CETA.
Kluwer Arbitration Blog | 14-Oct-2016
In a quite short period the new government, led by the recently elected President Mauricio Macri, has turned around its foreign policy and alignments.
CEO | 13-Oct-2016
Les attaques dangereuses contre les réglementations protégeant l’intérêt public et l’environnement ne prendront pas fin suite aux nouvelles propositions européennes sur l’investissement dans les traités de commerce, selon un nouveau rapport.
Australian Institute of International Affairs | 13-Oct-2016
There is a loophole that may allow private investors to bring a dispute against states.
S2B | 12-Oct-2016
The Joint Interpretative Declaration on the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) reaffirms that investors can bypass the domestic court systems and will enjoy ample rights without any obligations.
Sumarium | 12-Oct-2016
Subsidiarias de la petrolera estadounidense ConocoPhillips demandaron a la estatal Petróleos de Venezuela (PDVSA) ante una corte de Delaware, según documentos judiciales, acusándola de operaciones fraudulentas en las que estaría involucrada Citgo
The Hill Times | 12-Oct-2016
The Liberals’ relative flexibility on investor-state dispute systems and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, and an expected visit to India by the PM, may help to move talks along.
Voces | 11-Oct-2016
El motivo del arbitraje fue porque el Estado salvadoreño le negó la concesión de explotación minera en la zona de San Francisco El Dorado en el departamento de Cabañas.
The Guardian | 11-Oct-2016
Lawyer for Philip Morris’s bid to take Australia to court over cigarette laws says Australia has nothing to fear from trade deals that allow investor-state disputes
Reuters | 11-Oct-2016
ConocoPhillips has for nearly a decade been pursuing a case against Venezuela in a World Bank tribunal to obtain billions of dollars in compensation for the 2007 takeover of its Venezuela assets.