Making the investment provisions of the Energy Charter Treaty sustainable development friendly

The International Energy Agency estimates that $16 trillion of investment will be needed to meet world energy requirements from 2003 to 2030. The world's poorest countries, where some of the fastest rates of increase in energy production are expected, will require a significant portion of this investment. Energy investment, both as a source of foreign exchange and to expand local access to electricity and other forms of energy, is integral to socioeconomic development. It is reasonable to expect that this anticipated investment will witness a significant number of disputes between investors and host governments. A fair and just dispute settlement system can help promote the needed investment and sustainable development. The Energy Charter Treaty (ECT) takes a comprehensive approach to the international energy sector, including coverage of trade, transit, competition and the environment, but its investment provisions have proven most significant with three international arbitral tribunals having issued decisions under the treaty and more disputes pending. While much of the ECT's effort has been to bridge the former East–West economic divide, the Treaty's scope of application is potentially worldwide, and given the inextricable link between energy, development and the environment it makes sense that the Treaty process forge a developing-country regime, one that promotes the development of energy resources and sustainable development. Drawing upon the work of Konrad von Moltke and the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and in light of tribunal decisions to date, this essay maintains, inter alia, that the ECT should impose basic transparency and good faith requirements on investors and create a special developing-country regime, promoting sustainable development.

反诉制度探究

反诉制度是民事诉讼中一项特有的重要制度。我国对反诉制度的理论研究还不成熟,司法实践中也存在颇多问题。应从诉权、诉讼经济的角度出发对反诉制度进行理论上的探究,以进一步完善我国的反诉制度。     

民事反诉概念辨析

我国民事反诉制度规定在1991年公布实施的《中华人民共和国民事诉讼法》中。由于理论研究的不足以及受到宜粗不宜细的立法指导思想的影响,《民事诉讼法》对反诉制度仅作了简单的规定。我国现行立法虽然确立了反诉制度,但是现行法律并没有对反诉制度作出系统的,科学的,具有操作性的规定,反映出了我国现行民事反诉制度存在的诸多缺陷,这些缺陷主要是由于我国理论界对反诉制度的研究不足,特别是对反诉概念的界定不当造成的。因此,对我国理论界关于反诉概念进行反思,从而正确界定反诉概念,对于完善我国民事反诉制度具有重要意义。