bilaterals.org logo
bilaterals.org logo

Articles by language


Egypt’s Damietta liquefaction plant agreement enters into force
The Egyptian Ministry of Petroleum and Mineral Resources announced the entry into force of the agreement related to the Damietta Liquefaction Plant, and the settlement of all claims.
Ombudsman: Sustainability assessment should have been completed before EU-Mercosur trade deal agreed by negotiators
The European Commission should have concluded an updated sustainability impact assessment before the EU-Mercosur trade deal was agreed, an inquiry by European Ombudsman has found.
India has till mid-April to appeal against Cairn award on limited ground
India has time till mid-April to file an appeal against an international arbitration tribunal ordering it to repay UK’s Cairn Energy Plc USD 1.2 billion-plus interest and cost, but the challenge can only be on limited grounds such as procedure not being followed.
US trade czar Tai to discuss trade deal with UK next week
Newly confirmed US Trade Representative Katherine Tai will speak with her British counterpart, Secretary Liz Truss, next week to further talks on a possible trade agreement.
India-EU trade talks may see progress at Portugal summit
India and the European Union (EU) may announce some progress in negotiations relating to a broad-based trade and investment agreement during the India-EU summit scheduled for 8 May.
Reforming the investment treaty regime: A ‘backward-looking’ approach
A plurilateral “interpretative statements,” whereby governments endorse joint statements clarifying and defining their positions on contentious clauses in their existing investment treaties would be a practical, flexible and low-cost option.
In Washington, ‘free trade’ is no longer gospel
Like its predecessor, the Biden administration has largely dispensed with the idea of free trade as a goal in and of itself.
Pakistan promotes Belt and Road port for Central Asian trade
Pakistan is offering access to Gwadar port, a strategic component in China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), to landlocked Central Asian countries in the hope of stimulating activity at the idle facility.
Kenya must up industrial game to survive trade deal with UK
About 82.6% of goods and services originating from the UK will benefit from preferential access to the Kenyan market. KAM says the country must improve her manufacturing competitiveness ahead of the trade liberalization.
Kenya Flower Council pushes for approval of the Kenya-UK trade deal to guarantee export of flowers to the UK
Kenya Flower Council (KFC) has expressed its support for the immediate approval of the Kenya-UK trade deal signed on December 8 2020.
Nigeria’s lawsuits against Shell could cause oil major exodus
Nigeria has unleashed one of the most spectacular legal attacks on one of its key oil and gas investors, to an extent previously unseen in the country’s more than 60 years of hydrocarbon production.
EU/Morocco free trade agreement: Polisario Front optimistic about European Court of Justice verdict
The Polisario Front is optimistic about the new verdict of the European Court of Justice concerning the motion for annulment of the agreement on the extension of the EU/Morocco free trade and association agreements in the territory of Western Sahara.
To what extent will the AfCFTA impact the number of ISDS cases involving African States?
Only 21% of cases administered by ICSID involve African investors, however, this may change with the introduction of AfCFTA, and we may begin to see more disputes involving African investors and African states.
“Super-protections” for corporations
How investment treaties and investor-to-state dispute settlement grant foreign investors greater rights than Dutch and EU law.
India, Bangladesh to sign economic pact over next five years: EIU
India and Bangladesh are expected to sign an economic partnership agreement over the next five years which will preserve trade rights for Bangladesh.
ISDS: how imperialism wages lawfare on the poor
The continued existence of ISDS in numerous treaties is a testament to the enormous influence and power wielded by transnational capital over governments the world over.
Critics raise alarm over EU-China deal
An investment deal between China and the European Union restricts Europeans from investing in Chinese media and entertainment companies but does not block Chinese firms from investing in European ones.
EU begins legal action against UK over Brexit violation
It follows Britain’s unilateral decision to delay implementing a key part of the Brexit deal relating to Northern Ireland.
China-EU comprehensive agreement on investment: Ineffective in protecting labour rights and acting on environmental justice
Without thinking about environmental action beyond emissions and enacting binding agreements on protecting workers’ rights, China and the EU fail at making meaningful change for both labour and environmental justice.
Why Britain is tilting to the Indo-Pacific region
Critics warn of imperial fantasy but the economic and political forces pulling the UK back to the region are real.