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.

Reporterre | 23-Feb-2016
Menaces contre les directives environnementales, arbitrage juridique contre les États, accroissement des échanges générateur de CO2… Ce traité est incompatible avec l’accord de Paris sur le climat.
ICTSD | 23-Feb-2016
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.
CNN | 22-Feb-2016
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.
Tercera Información | 19-Feb-2016
A comienzos del 2013 comenzó su singladura el llamado TTIP con el objetivo de “relanzar el intercambio de bienes, servicios e inversiones entre EEUU y la Unión Europea” y que podría atracar en puerto en el 2017 tras culminar recientemente la UE y EE.UU. la última ronda de conversaciones.
Ecologistas en Acción | 18-Feb-2016
Ecologistas en Acción, junto con otras 14 organizaciones europeas, publica un informe que muestra que las propuestas de la Comisión Europea para el capítulo de protección de las inversiones en el tratado comercial entre la UE y EE UU (TTIP por sus siglas en inglés), sigue siendo una amenaza para la democracia.
Friends of the Earth Europe | 18-Feb-2016
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.
Les Amis de la Terre | 18-Feb-2016
La Commission européenne a soumis une nouvelle proposition de « système juridictionnel des investissements ». Nous avons identifié 10 problèmes majeurs qui illustrent combien les droits des investisseurs étrangers continuent d’être privilégiés.
CTV | 17-Feb-2016
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.
Embassy | 17-Feb-2016
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.
Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry | 16-Feb-2016
The Agreement stipulates rules for investment protection and the development of an investment environment.