Protecao de Investimentos Estrangeiros: uma nota da Unctad sobre controversias investidor-Estados

Não são só, ou apenas, países em desenvolvimento que enfrentam demandas de empresas privadas ao abrigo de acordos de proteção de investimentos. Um número crescente de países desenvolvidos também se veem envolvidos em controvérsias desse tipo, geralmente por mudanças nos regulamentos aplicáveis em matéria de energia, meio ambiente e outros temas.
Uma circular recentemente recebida segue abaixo, para os interessados.
Paulo Roberto de Almeida

IDear Members of the World Investment Network, 

It is my pleasure to share with you UNCTAD's IIA Issues Note on the latest developments in investor-State dispute settlement. ISDS continues to be in the spotlight thanks to new developments, such as the European Union's launch of public consultations on the topic and the recent $5bn settlement between Repsol and Argentina. 

The Issues Note provides fully updated statistical data on treaty-based ISDS cases as well as an overview of arbitral decisions issued in 2013. Among the Note's highlights are: 

·        In 2013, investors initiated at least 57 treaty-based disputes. This comes close to the previous year's record high number of new claims. 

·        An unusually high number of cases (almost half of the total) were filed against developed States; most of these have the Member States of the European Union as respondents. 

·        Claimants challenged a broad range of government measures, including changes related to investment incentive schemes, alleged breaches of contracts, alleged direct or de facto expropriation, revocation of licenses or permits, regulation of energy tariffs, allegedly wrongful criminal prosecution, land zoning decisions, invalidation of patents, legislation relating to sovereign bonds, and others. 

·        Thirteen of the new cases arise from two sets of government measures (regarding renewable energy), adopted by the Czech Republic and Spain. Two cases relate to the Greek financial crisis. Several arbitrations have an environmental dimension. 

·        By end of 2013, 98 States have been respondents in a total of 568 known treaty-based cases. 

·        The overwhelming majority of cases (85 per cent) have been brought by investors from developed countries. Together, claimants from the EU and the United States account for 75 per cent of all cases. 

·        In 2013, ISDS tribunals rendered 37 known decisions, 23 of which are in the public domain, including decisions on jurisdiction, merits, compensation and applications for annulment. 

·        In seven out of the eight decisions on the merits, the tribunal accepted – at least in part – the claims of the investors. The award of USD 935 million in the Al-Kharafi v. Libya case ranks as the second highest known award in history. 

·        The overall number of concluded cases reached 274. Of these, approximately 43 per cent were decided in favour of the State and 31 per cent in favour of the investor. Approximately 26 per cent of cases were settled. 

·        The public discourse about the usefulness and legitimacy of ISDS continues to gain momentum, especially in the context of important IIA negotiations that are currently ongoing. 

I hope that you find our  IIA Issues Note on the latest developments in investor-State dispute settlement  useful and interesting - please feel free to also share it with your colleagues!

Let me also use this opportunity to draw your attention to the forthcoming fourth World Investment Forum (WIF), taking place from 13-16 October 2014 in Geneva. The WIF is the pre-eminent platform for high-level and inclusive discourse on investment policies for sustainable development, gathering on average 2,000 participants from 196 countries and convening the full range of investment for development stakeholders.

The WIF's IIA Conference, scheduled for the morning of Thursday 16 October 2014, will provide an opportunity for IIA negotiators, investment practitioners, legal scholars, and representatives from civil society and the private sector to take stock of 60 years of international investment policy making. The debate will review key challenges and identify ways and means for reforming the regime of IIAs and ISDS so that they better contribute to sustainable development.

I look forward to welcoming you to Geneva in autumn.

Best regards,

James X. Zhan
Director
Investment & Enterprise Division
United Nations Conference on Trade & Development
Palais des Nations, Geneva
Tel: +41 22 9175797
www.unctad.org/diae

China denuncia EUA na OMC: dois lutadores de sumo...

No sistema multilateral de comércio tudo pode ser questionado, já que as empresas e os países empreendem práticas comerciais efetivamente questionáveis. O problema é que muitas vezes a iniciativa é tomada por razões puramente protecionistas, ou seja, em face de uma competição impiedosa, que ameaça tirar empresas de um país fora do mercado, e daí se pretende disfarçar a medida "denunciando" dumping, comércio desleal, subsídios e coisas do gênero. De fato, muitos governos concedem subsídios indiretos a suas empresas, para produzir empregos e renda, e nem sempre é fácil provar isso, dados os mecanismos e canais obscuros geralmente empregados nesse tipo de apoio governamental.
Cabe aos árbitros, em última instância, examinar todos os documentos e provas colocadas à sua disposição, por acusadores e demandados, para então decidir quem tem razão. Muitas vezes nenhum dos lados tem razão, mas dependendo das "provas"recolhidas, sempre haverá alguma medida ou política inconsistente com as regras do Gatt.
Vamos aguardar novos desenvolvimentos, do que parece ser um caso relevante na história do sistema de disputas da OMC.
Paulo Roberto de Almeida 

China goes to WTO to challenge US tariffs

Shanghai Daily, May 26, 2012


CHINA filed World Trade Organization cases yesterday challenging US anti-subsidy tariffs on 22 Chinese goods, including steel.

The cases come as a weakening global economy fuels trade frictions as nations try to boost exports and create jobs.

China began its challenge by requesting consultations with the United States through the WTO to resolve the dispute. If that fails, China can request a ruling by a WTO panel, which can order the United States to scrap measures found to violate free-trade commitments or to pay compensation.

Beijing appeared to be challenging Washington's overall approach to subsidies and dumping, as well as its handling of individual cases. 

China's mission to the WTO accused Washington of improperly using anti-dumping measures to shield American companies from competition.

"The relevant practices constitute the abuse of trade remedy measures, which undermines the legitimate interests of China's enterprises," said a statement by China's mission to the WTO.

It complained the United States repeated its "wrongful practice" in the dispute over Chinese-made solar power equipment.

The Chinese statement said the US measures affect Chinese exports to the United States worth US$7.3 billion. 

It gave no details but Xinhua news agency said products included steel, paper and solar cells.

The two governments also have argued over access to each others' markets for poultry, tires and other goods.

On Thursday, China's Ministry of Commerce issued a ruling that the US government paid improper subsidies for six renewable energy projects, violating free-trade rules. 

That ruling came in an investigation launched in November after Washington began a probe into whether Chinese manufacturers were selling solar cells and other equipment in the United States at improperly low prices.

The US Commerce Department issued a preliminary ruling in that case last week that concluded Chinese manufacturers engaged in "unfair practices." It proposed raising tariffs by at least 31 percent to compensate for "improper" Chinese government subsidies.

China earlier accused US investigators of acting unfairly in the solar case by looking at other economies to estimate what Chinese producers' costs should be and how much government support they received.