“Putting the Pieces Together … an EU Model BIT?”

Abstract

Although the eu Commission as negotiation leader in the field of external trade matters which, after Lisbon, also include investment will not issue a Model Investment Treaty, a number of its statements together with reactions by the Council and the Parliament allow the observer to draw conclusions as to the likely content of such future agreements. In addition, those trade agreements with investment chapters which are already close to finalization, like the Canada-eu Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (ceta), provide telling insights concerning the main features of an eu agreement on investment protection. This article provides a general overview of the expected content of eu treaties in the field of investment, comprising scope of protection, substantive standards, and dispute settlement. It concludes that future eu investment agreements are likely to contain the traditional short eu bit standards to which a number of specifications inspired by North-American practice will be added.