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.

Triple Crisis | 15-Oct-2015
TPP, investment agreements, and the governance of land
BBC | 14-Oct-2015
¿Que hizo que más de 100.000 berlineses salieran a las calles a protestar este fin de semana en la capital alemana?
Público | 13-Oct-2015
Un nuevo estudio del CEO advierte del peligro que supone el tratado comercial UE-EEUU para la "capacidad reguladora de los gobiernos" y para los derechos de los ciudadanos de acceder a servicios públicos.
The Dissident | 13-Oct-2015
Le type d’exploitation qui vise à soumettre les Etats et les peuples aux multinationales, impliquant le renoncement des gouvernements à toutes les politiques publiques, nous le reconnaissons dans le TAFTA.
All Africa | 13-Oct-2015
The East African Community partner states have agreed on the outstanding trade issues under the Tripartite Free Trade Area (TFTA).
CEO | 12-Oct-2015
EU trade deals with Canada and the US could endanger citizens’ rights to basic services like water and health, as negotiators are doing the work of some of the EU’s most powerful corporate lobby groups in pushing an aggressive market opening agenda in the public sector.
AITEC | 12-Oct-2015
Les services publics de l’Union européenne se trouvent sous la menace des accords de commerce transatlantiques, et ce au profit des multinationales.
The Conversation | 9-Oct-2015
Up until now, Australia has never agreed to provide American investors with access to Investor-State Dispute Settlement (ISDS), whereas Canada has. In total Canada has faced 35 challenges. Australia has been subjected to only one case.
Australasian Lawyer | 9-Oct-2015
Law firms are among the many Australian businesses likely to benefit from the Trans-Pacific Partnership.
Madhyam | 7-Oct-2015
India and EU would soon resume negotiations on the stalled India-EU free trade agreement.