Banking / Finance

Global Public Interest in International Investment Law

By Dr Andreas Kulick
Cambridge University Press July 2012

Specifications

ISBN-13
9781107021761
Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Publication
July 2012
Format
Hardback , 412 pages
Jurisdiction
International ? Countri(es) for reference only

Details

The strengths of international investment law – above all, a strong focus on investor interests and an effective adjudication and enforcement system – also entail its weaknesses: it runs the danger of impeding or even sanctioning the host states' legitimate regulatory interests and ignoring other fields of public international law. How does it cope with public interest concerns such as human rights, the environment or the fight against corruption? At the heart of this book lies a fresh approach towards a general theory of such global public interest considerations in the investment realm. Delineating how and why those considerations matter, and why the current system does not accommodate them properly, Andreas Kulick fleshes out general principles and customary international law as defences the host state may raise against alleged investor rights infringements and promotes proportionality as the appropriate balancing mechanism.

• Outlines a clear doctrinal structure which serves practical implementation and provides a basis for further scholarly discussions

• Suggests factors to be taken into account when balancing competing interests and proposes procedural mechanisms to prevent abuses of public interest concerns by the host state

• Guides reader in how to use certain arguments or counter them, and provides arbitrators with a mechanism capable of halting inappropriate and unfounded public interest claims by the host state

Table of Contents

Foreword
xiii
Acknowledgments
xv
Table of Cases
xvii
Table of Treaties and Other Documents
xxvi
1         Introduction
1
Part I    Towards the Global Public Interest theory
9
2         The “internationalization” of international investment law
11
A.        A first glance at Article 42(1) ICSID
12
1.        Context: general principle of Article 42 ICSID is freedom of choice
12
2.        Possible cases in which international law may be applicable under Article 42 ICSID
13
3.        International law as applicable even in case of an exclusive choice of domestic law according to Article 42(1) first sentence ICSID
14
B.        Drafting history of Article 42(1) second sentence ICSID
15
C.        The role of BITs in international investment law
17
1.        BITs as a recent phenomenon
17
2.        Codification and promotion of international law through BITs
18
D.        The relationship of domestic law and international law
19
1.        Preliminary remarks
19
2.        The Klöckner-Amco doctrine
21
3.        The dissolution of the Klöckner-Amco doctrine
30
4.        A new doctrine: Wena
33
5.        The Argentine crisis Tribunals and beyond
38
E.        The changing face of international investment law
45
1.        Six preliminary observations
45
2.        “Prominent role”: The “internationalization” of international investment law
46
3.        The “integration” of international investment law
48
4.        Outlook: The public interest challenge
50
5.        Consequences of the above findings: Three hypotheticals
52
3         Public interest and international economic law – current approaches
57
A.        Scholarly approaches towards international legal obligations of MNEs
57
1.        A scholarly attempt to shape the practice: The Norms on the Responsibilities of Transnational Corporations and Other Business Enterprises with Regard to Human Rights
58
2.        Scholarly approaches towards an international legal personality of MNEs
61
B.        Public interest considerations in recent BIT practice
66
1.        Prelude: The principle of good faith and Article XX GATT
66
2.        Public interest considerations in BITs
69
4         The Global Public Interest theory
77
A.        Setting the stage: International investment law as Global Public Law
77
1.        The Global Administrative Law face of international investment law
78
2.        Constitutional elements in international investment law
85
3.        International investment law as Global Public Law
94
B.        Comparative insights
99
1.        Recall the seven observations on international investment law
99
2.        The European law system
101
3.        The European Convention on Human Rights system
118
C.        The Global Public Interest theory
127
1.        Two examples of public interest considerations in international investment case law
127
2.        Lessons learned from the comparative insights
146
3.        The State as the agent of public interest
149
4.        Lessons learned from international investment law as Global Public Law
151
5.        The legal translation of Global Public Interest
154
5         How to balance the conflicting interests: Proportionality analysis
168
A.        Doctrinal avenues of proportionality analysis in international investment law
168
B.        Some skepticism regarding proportionality analysis
171
C.        Comparative insights
173
1.        The German pedigree of proportionality analysis and its reception in other domestic constitutional orders
174
2.        Proportionality analysis in the European legal order – ECJ jurisprudence
178
3.        Proportionality in the jurisprudence of international Tribunals
179
4.        A glimpse into investment arbitration jurisprudence vis-à-vis proportionality
183
D.        Elements of proportionality analysis
186
1.        Suitability
186
2.        Necessity
187
3.        Proportionality stricto sensu
188
E.        Principles relevant in proportionality analysis
189
1.        Standards of review (Kontrolldichte), margin of appreciation and standards of scrutiny
189
2.        “Praktische Konkordanz”
191
3.        Limits to the balancing test (ius cogens)
192
F.        Operationalizing proportionality analysis in international investment law
193
1.        Why proportionality analysis?
193
2.        Doctrinal structure: Three-tier analysis
195
3.        “Obligations” vs. “defenses”
197
4.        Factors to be considered while balancing on the proportionality stricto sensu level
198
5.        Some doctrinal challenges
202
6.        Consequence: Reduced amount of compensation and damages
209
G.        Potential safeguards against abuse
213
1.        Substantive safeguards: Recap
214
2.        Procedural safeguards: Provisional measures
215
H.        What this means: Completing the three hypotheticals
217
1.        Environment
218
2.        Human rights
219
3.        Corruption
220
Part II   Global Public Interest in international investment case law
223
6         International investment law and the environment
225
A.        Principles of international environmental law
225
1.        The polluter pays principle
226
2.        The principle of preventive action
227
3.        The precautionary principle
228
4.        Common but differentiated responsibility principle
231
B.        Do international environmental law treaties bear any relevance for the analysis at hand?
232
C.        International investment disputes involving environmental issues
233
1.        Santa Elena v. Costa Rica
234
2.        Metalclad v. Mexico
237
3.        S. D. Myers v. Canada
240
4.        Tecmed v. Mexico
245
5.        Waste Management v. Mexico
249
6.        Methanex v. United States
251
7.        Biwater v. Tanzania
252
8.        Chemtura v. Canada
255
D.        Analysis of the case law
258
1.        Preliminary conclusions
258
2.        The case law on environment in the light of the Global Public Interest theory
267
7         Human rights and investment – friends or foes?
269
A.        Doctrinal approaches in a nutshell
269
B.        Human rights issues in investment disputes
271
1.        Alleged violations of the investor's human rights
271
2.        Alleged violations of human rights by the investor
276
(a)       General human rights cases
276
(b)       Specific case study: The right to water
288
C.        Analysis of the case law
300
1.        What's wrong with human rights?
300
2.        Through the back door
303
3.        Growing role of third parties
304
4.        The case law on human rights in the light of the Global Public Interest theory
305
8         Corruption and other irregularities
307
A.        How bad is corruption?
307
B.        Forms of corruption, definitions and international instruments
309
1.        “Hard corruption” and “influence peddling”
309
2.        International instruments
310
(a)       OECD Convention on Combating Bribery of Foreign Public Officials in International Business Transactions
310
(b)       Criminal Law Convention on Corruption of the Council of Europe
312
(c)       BIT provisions relevant in corruption cases
312
C.        Corruption disputes in international investment law
313
1.        Distinguish two different types of corruption disputes
313
2.        International investment case law pertaining to corruption and other irregularities
314
(a)       Wena v. Egypt and SGS v. Pakistan
314
(b)       World Duty Free v. Republic of Kenya
315
(c)       Inceysa v. El Salvador
321
(d)       Fraport v. Philippines
324
(e)       Kardassopoulos v. Georgia
325
D.        Analysis of the case law
327
1.        Preliminary conclusions
327
2.        Alternative approaches
331
(a)       Modification or adaptation of the main contract
331
(b)       Balancing with the investor's rights on the merits stage
332
9         Concluding remarks
342
Bibliography
346
Index
365

About the Author

Dr Andreas Kulick,  University of Tübingen

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