Source: Gmfus.org by Peter H. Chase Summary: The economic relationship between the United States and the European Union (EU) is unique as it is based on investment rather than on trade. Yet, in a sense they have no investment relationship: while the United States has investment treaties with most of the EU’s 27 member states, it …
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Source: Boston.com By Ian James Associated Press / October 9, 2011 CARACAS, Venezuela—As President Hugo Chavez seizes ever more private property in his push to build a socialist system, foreign companies are squeezing Venezuela’s resources by filing claims for billions of dollars in compensation. Heavyweights such as U.S. oil giant Exxon Mobil Corp. as well as smaller companies …
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Source: Friends of the Earth Thursday, October 13, 2011 Friends of the Earth denounces passage of unjust trade agreements President Obama broke his campaign promises in backing Bush-era trade pacts that repeat mistakes of NAFTA WASHINGTON, D.C. — With President Obama’s backing, Congress yesterday passed trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama that are based on …
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Source: CCPA October 14, 2011 By Scott Sinclair, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives The recent decision by the European Union (EU) to disregard Canadian government pressure and forge ahead with regulations that recognise the higher green-house-gas intensity of fuel produced from tar sands and oil shale is encouraging.   The Canadian government has lobbied furiously against Article …
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Source: Canadianlawyermag.com October 24, 2011 Written by  Gus Van Harten There is something awry when a dispute between a company and a government that engages public policy is resolved by arbitrators subject to the authority of an international business organization. It becomes ridiculous when virtually everything about the process is kept confidential. So we should lament …
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Source: Coc.org Rethinking Bretton Woods | Fri, Sep 30, 2011 By Aldo Caliari Commentary on two new papers assessing the impacts of Bilateral Investment Treaties on foreign investment flows. Two new research pieces have come up with evidence to support the contention that investment treaties are a negligible factor in business decisions to open establishments in a …
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Source: Ilcurry.wordpress.com October 31, 2011 During the Nepalese Prime Minister’s recent state visit to India, Nepal’s Minister for Industries and India’s Minister of Finance signed a bilateral agreement for the promotion and protection of investments between the two countries (“Nepal-India BIT”/”BIT”/”BIPPA”). Possible Motivations The underlying objective behind the BIT seems to be the belief that the treaty would serve as a catalyst in …
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October 31, 2011 By Aldo Orellana López, for the Network for Justice in Global Investment On December 19, 2001, thousands of families took to the streets and plazas of Buenos Aires with their pots in hand. They were protesting against the economic policy of Fernando de la Rua’s government and his predecessor Carlos Menem, which …
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