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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.

S’pore, Iran ink bilateral treaty on investment
4-Mar-2016 Asia One
Singapore has moved quickly to sign an investment treaty with oil-rich Iran to support Singapore firms investing in an economy that is emerging after the recent lifting of global sanctions.
CETA announcement shows it’s possible to fix trade deals
4-Mar-2016 Huffington Post
Corporations can still sue governments over public policy decisions they don’t like but the real lesson from the ISDS reforms, in fact, is that public opposition and political mobilization can change things.
RCEP threatens tax policies in India and other 15 countries
1-Mar-2016 Public Services International
New report shows that trade and investment deals like RCEP will further adversely affect the ability of the government of India to tax corporations effectively and fairly.
The seven sins of the EU investment court
1-Mar-2016 EU Observer
Despite all the talk of reform from commissioner Malmstroem, the threat to democratic decision-making is as alive and dangerous as ever.
The rise of investor-state dispute settlement in the extractive sectors: challenges and considerations for African countries
1-Mar-2016 South Centre
In African countries, the expansion of international investment agreements could carry significant risks to policy space and policy tools necessary for industrialization and development.
CETA: EU and Canada agree on new approach on investment in trade agreement
29-Feb-2016 European Commission
The European Commission and the Canadian Government have agreed to include a new approach on investment protection and investment dispute settlement in CETA.
State loses for good the trial against the Miculas, following ICSID decision
29-Feb-2016 Romania Journal
Brothers Viorel and Ioan Micula won the lawsuit against the Romanian state at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), and were awarded USD 200 million in damages.
TTIP: EU and US vow to speed up talks on trade deal
29-Feb-2016 The Guardian
Negotiators confirm they hope to reach agreement on Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership by end of year.
Poland says to cancel bilateral investment treaties
26-Feb-2016 Global Post
EU member Poland wants to cancel its bilateral investment treaties (BITS) on the basis of which foreign investors have lodged claims worth nearly a billion euros in international arbitration.
Mozilla, EFF, and Creative Commons call for more openness in trade negotiations
25-Feb-2016 Ars Technica
Browser maker Mozilla, digital rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Creative Commons have called for more openness in global trade agreements.
Venezuela, Gold Reserve to settle arbitration dispute with joint venture
25-Feb-2016 Reuters
Venezuela and Canadian mining company Gold Reserve signed a memorandum of understanding to settle a protracted arbitration dispute over a gold concession.
Canada and Hong Kong FIPA signed: A boost to the bilateral business relation
24-Feb-2016 Lexology
FIPA sets out respective rights and reciprocal binding obligations for Canada and Hong Kong, including non-discriminatory treatment, minimum standard of treatment and dispute resolutions rules.
NAFTA wind energy dispute ramps up
23-Feb-2016 ICTSD
The case concerns a moratorium imposed in 2011 by the Canadian province of Ontario on offshore wind energy generation projects, citing public concerns and scientific uncertainties about the health, safety, and environmental effects.
The real danger in TPP
22-Feb-2016 CNN
This threat to the law and to democratic processes has no place in a 21st century trade agreement and should be removed before these agreements can be seriously considered.
Investment court system, ISDS in disguise: 10 reasons why the EU’s proposal doesn’t fix a flawed system
18-Feb-2016 Friends of the Earth Europe
The European Commission has proposed a new ’Investment Court System’ to replace the current investor to state dispute settlement mechanism (ISDS) in the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and other future investment deals.
Parts of Canada-EU trade deal still being revised: chief negotiator
17-Feb-2016 CTV
Canada is working with the European Union to revise controversial investor protection provisions in their landmark free trade deal at the direction of the new Liberal government.
Canada re-opens investment talks with India
17-Feb-2016 Embassy
Canada’s government has officially re-opened negotiations with India over a bilateral investment treaty the two sides nearly agreed upon almost a decade ago.
Japan and the Islamic Republic of Iran sign a bilateral investment agreement
16-Feb-2016 Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry
The Agreement stipulates rules for investment protection and the development of an investment environment.
TPP may bankrupt Indonesia, activists say
16-Feb-2016 The Jakarta Post
Indonesia could fall into bankruptcy if the biggest market in Southeast Asia join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which would allow investors to sue the government.
US-EU trade will undermine ’tax justice,’ says report
16-Feb-2016 Tele Sur
The secretive TTIP could make it easier than ever for big business to sue governments, according to new research.