Skip Navigation


Journal of International Economic Law Advance Access originally published online on May 4, 2006
Journal of International Economic Law 2006 9(2):357-382; doi:10.1093/jiel/jgl006
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
9/2/357    most recent
jgl006v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Search for citing articles in:
ISI Web of Science (1)
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Gagné, G.
Right arrow Articles by Morin, J.-F.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

Journal of International Economic Law Vol. 9 No. 2 © Oxford University Press 2006, all rights reserved

The Evolving American Policy on Investment Protection: Evidence from Recent FTAs and the 2004 Model BIT

Gilbert Gagné* and Jean-Frédéric Morin**

* Associate Professor, Department of Political Studies, Bishop’s University, Lennoxville, Quebec, Canada J1M 1Z7 and Director, Groupe de recherche sur l’intégration continentale, Université du Québec à Montréal. Email: ggagne{at}ubishops.ca.
** Research Associate, Groupe de recherche sur l’intégration continentale, Université du Québec à Montréal, P.O. Box 8888, Stn. Centre-ville, Montreal, Quebec, Canada H3C 3P8. Email: jean-frederic.morin{at}unisfera.org.

Twelve years after the inception of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the US policy on the protection of foreign investment is evolving. This article compares the provisions on investment in the recent US free trade agreements (FTAs) and the 2004 model bilateral investment treaty (BIT) with NAFTA’s. While most of the provisions are similar, some differences can be identified, both in substantive and procedural forms. We explain this evolution by a learning process of the US administration from the NAFTA experience. We argue that the new features of the FTAs and of the revised model BIT result from the US interest in reaching a better balance between the protection of investment and the protection of state sovereignty. This American concern stems from a reaction to the claims filed by foreign investors under NAFTA Chapter 11, at least some of which were perceived as ‘frivolous’ by the US government. However, the recent US FTAs and model BIT do not reveal a thorough policy reorientation but rather adjustments to the policy at the basis of NAFTA’s investment chapter.


Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?




Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.